jumper

¹ American  

[juhm-per] / ˈdʒʌm pər /

noun

1. a person or thing that jumps.

2. Basketball. jump shot.

3. Sports. a participant in a jumping event, as in track or skiing.

4. Manège. a horse specially trained to jump obstacles.

5. a boring tool or device worked with a jumping motion.

6. Also called jump wire. Electricity. a short length of conductor used to make a connection, usually temporary, between terminals of a circuit or to bypass a circuit.

7. Also called jumper cable. booster cable.

8. a kind of sled.

9. Also called jumper stay. Nautical. a line preventing the end of a spar or boom from being lifted out of place.

10. any of various fishes that leap from the water, as the striped mullet or jumprock.

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jumper ² American  

[juhm-per] / ˈdʒʌm pər /

noun

1. a one-piece, sleeveless dress, or a skirt with straps and a complete or partial bodice, usually worn over a blouse by women and children.

2. a loose outer jacket worn especially by workers and sailors.

3. British. a pullover sweater.

4. jumpers, rompers.

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jumper ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒʌmpə /

noun

1. a boring tool that works by repeated impact, such as a steel bit in a hammer drill used in boring rock

2. Also called: jumper cable, jumper lead. a short length of wire used to make a connection, usually temporarily, between terminals or to bypass a component

3. a type of sled with a high crosspiece

4. a person or animal that jumps

5. derogatory a person who changes religion; a convert

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jumper ² British  

/ ˈdʒʌmpə /

noun

1. a knitted or crocheted garment covering the upper part of the body

2. Also called: pinafore dress. a sleeveless dress worn over a blouse or sweater

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Etymology

Origin of jumper¹

First recorded in 1605–15; jump + -er ¹

Origin of jumper²

First recorded in 1850–55; obsolete jump “short coat” (of uncertain origin) + -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jumper

“Just continuing to come in and work on it. The jumper, I’ve been in the gym all summer working on fluidity and the speed of my release, stuff like that, moving,” James said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

She was last seen wearing a black jacket, grey jumper, black leggings and black shoes.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

“He had a real jumper, I mean, before he was 2,” David recalls.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

In England, from September uniforms will be limited to three items with a school logo, such as a blazer, jumper or sportswear plus a tie for secondary schools, to help parents save money.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

I got an earful from Big Ma, but she paid for the mod jumper.

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia

Related Words

• acrobat