jury-rigged

British  

adjective

1. nautical set up in a makeshift manner, usually as a result of the loss of regular gear

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Explanation

Something that's jury-rigged is makeshift or thrown together from available parts. Kids love jury-rigged forts, made of blankets and chairs, even though they're not fancy. After a fender bender, you might keep your bumper from dragging on the ground with a jury-rigged solution involving duct tape and a bungee cord. Your brother's jury-rigged skateboard ramp might be less successful. Jury-rigged was originally a nautical term — a jury-rig was a backup mast that sailors would bring on long voyages in case the original mast was damaged. Using the word jury to mean "temporary" or "makeshift" might be rooted in the Latin adjutare, "to aid or help."

Example Sentences

That’s a very jury rigged device to get a sense of what might be possible with a conical drum, I haven’t really gone down that avenue yet but waiting to be traveled.

From Forbes • Sep. 24, 2014

He said further that I felt that it would be important that whatever I did, did not appear to be a jury rigged, specially arranged job for me.

From Salon • Feb. 9, 2011

I said the problem with that is that it would be a jury rigged kind of arrangement.

From Salon • Feb. 9, 2011

She lifts high enough to show the stump of the foremast with head-sails jury rigged.

From Blackbeard: Buccaneer by Schoonover, Frank Earle

New parts had been jury rigged out of old.

From The Variable Man by Dick, Philip K.