Jamaican

[ juh-mey-kuhn ]

/ dʒəˈmeɪ kən /

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adjective

of or relating to the island of Jamaica or its inhabitants.

noun

a native or inhabitant of Jamaica.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Jamaican

First recorded in 1685–95; Jamaic(a) + -an

Words nearby Jamaican

jalousie, jam, jamaat, Jamaica, Jamaica ginger, Jamaican, Jamaican ebony, Jamaica pepper, Jamaica rum, Jamaica shorts, Jamal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Jamaican in a sentence

Although the files were accessible from anyone’s web browser, the researcher asked not to be named for fear of legal repercussions from the Jamaican government.
Jamaica’s JamCOVID pulled offline after third security lapse exposed travelers’ data|Zack Whittaker|February 26, 2021|TechCrunch
J-FLAG, a Jamaican LGBTQ advocacy group, was also named as a plaintiff.
OAS commission issues landmark ruling against Jamaica sodomy law|Michael K. Lavers|February 24, 2021|Washington Blade
He taught us the history of where we’re from, the struggles and beauty of the Jamaican people, and the richness of the culture.
The Jamaican connection|Robert Samuels|January 13, 2021|Washington Post
The matriarchHarris’s Jamaican family comes from Brown’s Town, so named after enslaver Hamilton Brown.
The Jamaican connection|Robert Samuels|January 13, 2021|Washington Post

I didn’t grow up eating much Jamaican food in Oakland, California.
Until I Can Go Back to My Favorite Restaurant, This Jerk Paste Is the Next Best Thing|Elazar Sontag|September 25, 2020|Eater
With the help of a Jamaican migrant worker, he returns to his homeland to find his father.
Life After ‘Winter’s Bone’: Debra Granik on Finding J. Law and the Plight of the Female Director|Marlow Stern|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I auditioned for it, and the part was to be African or Jamaican.
Method Man Talks Wu-Tang Clan Reunion, Fake Rappers, and the Suge Knight Shooting|Marlow Stern|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Where I served people looked forward to the Jamaican beef patties, fried chicken legs and hamburgers.
Tales of a Jailhouse Gourmet: How I learned to Cook in Prison|Daniel Genis|June 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yeager took the photo while balancing on a raft in a muddy Jamaican swamp.
The Queen of the Playboy Centerfolds|Nina Strochlic|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She was still an inspired cook of cuisines ranging from Jamaican to Mexican.
Killed by Donald Sterling’s Racism|Michael Daly|May 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One bird (Mimus hillii), two fishes and four mollusca, three being Jamaican, were named after Hill.
The Journal of Negro History, Volume 5, 1920|Various
The capataz of the batey gang, a tall flushed Jamaican negro, passed on a cantering white pony.
Cytherea|Joseph Hergesheimer
Soon he detected the figure of the Jamaican in the gloom ahead, and followed it, keeping out of earshot.
The Black Buccaneer|Stephen W. Meader
Numerous entries regarding Jamaican affairs are to be found in the records of the Council of State during this period.
British Royal Proclamations Relating to America 1603-1783|Various
My guests are always welcome at these entertainments; there you will meet our Jamaican society.
Polly's Southern Cruise|Lillian Elizabeth Roy

British Dictionary definitions for Jamaican

Jamaican

/ (dʒəˈmeɪkən) /

adjective

of or relating to Jamaica or its inhabitants

noun

a native or inhabitant of Jamaica

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012