juju

[ joo-joo ]
/ ˈdʒu dʒu /

noun

an object venerated superstitiously and used as a fetish or amulet by tribal peoples of West Africa.
the magical power attributed to such an object.
a ban or interdiction effected by it.

Origin of juju

1890–95; allegedly < Hausa jūjū fetish

OTHER WORDS FROM juju

ju·ju·ism, noun ju·ju·ist, noun

Example sentences from the Web for juju

British Dictionary definitions for juju

juju
/ (ˈdʒuːdʒuː) /

noun

an object superstitiously revered by certain W African peoples and used as a charm or fetish
the power associated with a juju
a taboo effected by a juju
any process in which a mystery is exploited to confuse people

Derived forms of juju

jujuism, noun jujuist, noun

Word Origin for juju

C19: probably from Hausa djudju evil spirit, fetish