mugwump

[ muhg-wuhmp ]
/ ˈmʌgˌwʌmp /

noun

a Republican who refused to support the party nominee, James G. Blaine, in the presidential campaign of 1884.
a person who is unable to make up his or her mind on an issue, especially in politics; a person who is neutral on a controversial issue.

Origin of mugwump

1830–35, Americanism; artificial 19th-cent. revival of Massachusett (E spelling) mugquomp, syncopated form of muggumquomp war leader (equivalent to Proto-Algonquian *memekw- perhaps, swift + *-a·pe·w man)

OTHER WORDS FROM mugwump

mug·wump·er·y, mug·wump·ism, noun mug·wump·i·an, adjective mug·wump·ish, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for mugwump

British Dictionary definitions for mugwump

mugwump
/ (ˈmʌɡˌwʌmp) /

noun

US a neutral or independent person, esp in politics

Derived forms of mugwump

mugwumpery or mugwumpism, noun mugwumpish, adjective

Word Origin for mugwump

C19: from Algonquian: great chief, from mogki great + -omp man