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jumping bean
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noun
the seed of any of certain Mexican plants of the genera Sebastiania and Sapium, of the spurge family: the movements of a moth larva inside the seed cause it to move about or jump.
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Also called Mexican jumping bean.
Origin of jumping bean
An Americanism dating back to 1885–90
Words nearby jumping bean
jumped-up, jumper, jumper ant, jump head, jump in, jumping bean, jumping bristletail, jumping gene, jumping genes, jumping hare, jumping jack
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use jumping bean in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for jumping bean
jumping bean
noun
a seed of any of several Mexican euphorbiaceous plants, esp species of Sebastiania, that contains a moth caterpillar whose movements cause it to jerk about
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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