juju

[ joo-joo ]
/ ˈdʒu dʒu /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR juju ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an object venerated superstitiously and used as a fetish or amulet by tribal peoples of West Africa.
the magical power attributed to such an object.
a ban or interdiction effected by it.

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Origin of juju

1890–95; allegedly < Hausa jūjū fetish

OTHER WORDS FROM juju

ju·ju·ism, nounju·ju·ist, noun

Words nearby juju

juicehead, juicer, juicy, juiz de fora, jujitsu, juju, jujube, jujuy, juke, juke house, juke joint
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to juju

phylactery, trinket, amulet, talisman, fetish, mascot, periapt

Example sentences from the Web for juju

British Dictionary definitions for juju

juju
/ (ˈdʒuːdʒuː) /

noun

an object superstitiously revered by certain W African peoples and used as a charm or fetish
the power associated with a juju
a taboo effected by a juju
any process in which a mystery is exploited to confuse people

Derived forms of juju

jujuism, nounjujuist, noun

Word Origin for juju

C19: probably from Hausa djudju evil spirit, fetish
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