mumbo jumbo
[ muhm-boh juhm-boh ]
/ ˈmʌm boʊ ˈdʒʌm boʊ /
noun, plural mum·bo jum·bos.
meaningless incantation or ritual.
senseless or pretentious language, usually designed to obscure an issue, confuse a listener, or the like.
an object of superstitious awe or reverence.
(initial capital letters)
the guardian of western Sudan villages symbolized by a masked man who combats evil and punishes women for breaches of tribal laws.
Origin of mumbo jumbo
First recorded in 1730–40; of disputed orig.
Words nearby mumbo jumbo
mum's the word,
mum-and-dad investor,
mumbai,
mumble,
mumbletypeg,
mumbo jumbo,
mumchance,
mumetal,
mumford,
mummer,
mummerset
Example sentences from the Web for mumbo jumbo
British Dictionary definitions for mumbo jumbo
mumbo jumbo
/ (ˈmʌmbəʊ) /
noun plural mumbo jumbos
foolish religious reverence, ritual, or incantation
meaningless or unnecessarily complicated language
an object of superstitious awe or reverence
Word Origin for mumbo jumbo
C18: probably from Mandingo
mama dyumbo, name of a tribal god