jamboree
Americannoun
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a large gathering, as of a political party or the teams of a sporting league, often including a program of speeches and entertainment.
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a large gathering of members of the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, usually nationwide or international in scope (distinguished from camporee).
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any large gathering with a partylike atmosphere.
We're spotlighting aspects of each of the major December traditions—Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa—to create one all-inclusive jamboree.
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a carousal; any noisy merrymaking.
noun
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a large and often international gathering of Scouts
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a party or spree
Etymology
Origin of jamboree
An Americanism dating back to 1860–65; origin unknown
Explanation
A jamboree is a festive party or gathering. Your backyard jamboree might bother your neighbors, unless you invite them to join you. When you throw a jamboree, there's usually music, cheering, or other kinds of noise involved. You can call any large celebration a jamboree, as long as it's full of celebration and raucous enthusiasm. Jamboree is an American English invention from the 1860's. The word's origin isn't certain, although experts suspect a connection to shivaree, or charivari, a French folk tradition of greeting a newly married couple by making a whole lot of noise, in a mock serenade.
Vocabulary lists containing jamboree
Party Parlance for Mardi Gras
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Mardi Gras: Fun
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National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In an odd way, “Predator: Badlands” is a date-night movie posing as merely a sci-fi killing jamboree.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025
But honestly, spending time with Williams’ news cave jamboree wasn’t terrible.
From Salon • Nov. 6, 2024
A meringue band, fireworks, confetti showers and a light show animate the jamboree.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2024
But on Dec. 6, three days before the jamboree, Dorph received an email from the president of the chamber of commerce, telling him he had been relieved of his duties.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 17, 2023
They say bunches of stars and planets get on a jamboree and cross each other’s trail at times, and that our days are rough or smooth according to their tantrums.
From The Treasure Trail A Romance of the Land of Gold and Sunshine by Amick, Robert Wesley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
