| jumping bean |
the seed of certain Mexican plants of the spurge family, which contains the larva of a small moth whose movements cause the seed to roll and jump. |
| jumping jack |
a continuous exercise in which one moves the legs apart and the arms above the head with one jump, then brings the legs together and the arms to the sides with the next. [2 definitions] |
| jumping mouse |
any of various small rodents with large hind legs and a long tail. |
| jumping-off place |
an isolated or remote area, considered as the edge of civilization. [2 definitions] |
| jump on the bandwagon |
to join a party, cause, or movement because it is popular and seems assured of success, especially during an election. |
| jump rope |
a length of rope held at each end and swung under the feet and over the head as one jumps, for exercise or as a game. |
| jump seat |
a small folding seat in an automobile or airplane. |
| jump shot |
in basketball, a shot made by a player at the highest point of a jump. |
| jump-start |
to start (a motor vehicle) either by rolling or pushing (it) with the ignition on and suddenly releasing the clutch, or by connecting the dead battery to a live battery with jumper cables. [2 definitions] |
| jump suit |
a one-piece garment worn by parachutists. [2 definitions] |
| jump the gun |
to start some action too soon; act prematurely. |
| jumpy |
nervous or edgy, as with fear or anxiety. [2 definitions] |
| jun |
the smaller monetary unit of North Korea; chon. (Cf. won.) |
| junco |
any of a variety of small North American finches having gray and white plumage; snowbird. |
| junction |
a point or place where things are joined together. [5 definitions] |
| juncture |
a particular point in time, esp. a point of serious importance or crisis. [3 definitions] |
| June |
the sixth month of the Gregorian calendar year, having thirty days. |
| Juneau |
the capital of Alaska. |
| juneberry |
an American shrub or tree of the rose family, bearing white flowers and purplish fruit. [2 definitions] |
| June bug |
any of several large brown or iridescent green beetles of the eastern United States which appear in late spring and early summer. |
| Juneteenth |
the anniversary and celebration of the day, June 19, 1865, on which the abolition of slavery in the Confederate states was announced in Texas by Union Army forces. Before this date, slaves in Texas, part of the Confederacy, had no way of knowing that they had been freed on January 1, 1863 by the Emancipation Proclamation; thus, June 19th, now a Federal holiday, is celebrated each year in commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. Technically, all slaves became free in the United States upon the adoption of the 13th Amendment at the end of 1865. The amendment abolished slavery everywhere, including in those slave-owning states that had not joined the Confederacy. |