limbo
1
[ lim-boh ]
/ ˈlɪm boʊ /
noun, plural lim·bos.
(often initial capital letter) Roman Catholic Theology.
a region on the border of hell or heaven, serving as the abode after death of unbaptized infants (limbo of infants) and of the righteous who died before the coming of Christ (limbo of the fathers or limbo of the patriarchs).
a place or state of oblivion to which persons or things are regarded as being relegated when cast aside, forgotten, past, or out of date: My youthful hopes are in the limbo of lost dreams.
an intermediate, transitional, or midway state or place.
a place or state of imprisonment or confinement.
Origin of limbo
1
1300–50; Middle English, from Medieval Latin phrase
in limbō on hell's border (Latin: on the edge), equivalent to
in on +
limbō, ablative of
limbus edge, border (L), place bordering on hell (ML); see
limbus1
Words nearby limbo
limber pine,
limber up,
limberneck,
limbic,
limbic system,
limbo,
limbourg,
limburg,
limburger,
limbus,
lime
Definition for limbo (2 of 2)
limbo
2
[ lim-boh ]
/ ˈlɪm boʊ /
noun, plural lim·bos.
a dance from the West Indies, originally for men only, in which the dancer bends backward from the knees and moves with a shuffling step under a horizontal bar that is lowered after each successive pass.
Origin of limbo
2
1955–60; compare Jamaican English
limba to bend, easily bending; see
limber1
Example sentences from the Web for limbo
British Dictionary definitions for limbo (1 of 2)
limbo
1
/ (ˈlɪmbəʊ) /
noun plural -bos
(often capital) RC Church
the supposed abode of infants dying without baptism and the just who died before Christ
an imaginary place for lost, forgotten, or unwanted persons or things
an unknown intermediate place or condition between two extremes
in limbo
a prison or confinement
Word Origin for limbo
C14: from Medieval Latin
in limbo on the border (of hell)
British Dictionary definitions for limbo (2 of 2)
limbo
2
/ (ˈlɪmbəʊ) /
noun plural -bos
a Caribbean dance in which dancers pass, while leaning backwards, under a bar
Word Origin for limbo
C20: origin uncertain
Cultural definitions for limbo
limbo
In the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church regarding the afterlife, the condition of innocent persons who die without benefit of baptism; those in limbo do not suffer damnation, but they do not enjoy the presence of God. Limbo means “a bordering place.”
notes for limbo
Figuratively, “limbo” is a state of nonresolution or uncertainty: “Until he receives notice of his new posting, he'll be in limbo.”
Idioms and Phrases with limbo
limbo
see in limbo.