jump-start

[juhmp-stahrt]

noun

1. Automotive.,  Also the starting of an internal-combustion engine that has a discharged or weak battery by means of booster cables.

verb (used with object)

1. to give a jump-start to.

   to jump-start an engine.

2. to enliven or revive.

   to jump-start a sluggish economy.

jump-start

verb

1. to start the engine of (a car) by connecting it to another engine with jump leads or (of a car) to start in this way

noun

1. the act of starting a car in this way

Word History and Origins

Origin of jump-start¹

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

The former president Thomas Jefferson came to the rescue, selling his library of 6,000 books to Congress to jump-start another collection.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But the mere sight of a long-distance jumper was apparently enough to jump-start things on that end.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Defense Department is pouring money into jump-starting projects.

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But a stronger effort among policymakers to steady the economy, followed by innovation wins like DeepSeek, jump-started a powerful rebound last fall.

Read more on Barron's

The state was the first to mandate battery energy storage at its major utilities, helping jump-start the modern grid-battery market, while its cap-and-trade carbon market program has been emulated in places around the world.

Read more on Los Angeles Times