mugwump
[ muhg-wuhmp ]
/ ˈmʌgˌwʌmp /
noun
a Republican who refused to support the party nominee, James G. Blaine, in the presidential campaign of 1884.
a person who is unable to make up his or her mind on an issue, especially in politics; a person who is neutral on a controversial issue.
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What does "scattergood" mean?
a person who acts as though he or she knows everything and who dismisses the opinions, comments, or suggestions of others.
a person who spends possessions or money extravagantly or wastefully; spendthrift.
a well-intentioned but naive and often ineffectual social or political reformer.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUTOrigin of mugwump
First recorded in 1830–35, Americanism; artificial 19th-century revival of Massachusett (English spelling) mugquomp, syncopated form of muggumquomp “war leader” (equivalent to Proto-Algonquian (unattested) memekw- perhaps “swift” + (unattested) -a·pe·w “man”)
OTHER WORDS FROM mugwump
mug·wump·er·y, mugwumpism, nounmug·wump·i·an, adjectivemugwumpish, adjectiveWords nearby mugwump
mug punter, mug's game, mug shot, mug up, mugwort, mugwump, Muhajirun, Muhammad, Muhammad Ahmed, Muhammad Ali, Muhammadan
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for mugwump
British Dictionary definitions for mugwump
mugwump
/ (ˈmʌɡˌwʌmp) /
noun
US a neutral or independent person, esp in politics
Derived forms of mugwump
mugwumpery or mugwumpism, nounmugwumpish, adjectiveWord Origin for mugwump
C19: from Algonquian: great chief, from mogki great + -omp man
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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