I. jump 1 S2 W3 /dʒʌmp/ BrE AmE verb
1 . UPWARDS
a) [intransitive] to push yourself up into the air, or over or away from something etc, using your legs:
How high can you jump?
jump over/across/onto etc something
He jumped over the wall and ran off.
Fans were jumping up and down (=jumping repeatedly) and cheering.
jump clear (of something) (=jump out of danger)
We managed to jump clear of the car before it hit the wall.
b) [transitive] to go over or across something by jumping:
He jumped the gate, landing on the concrete.
2 . DOWNWARDS [intransitive] to let yourself drop from a place that is above the ground:
The cats jumped down and came to meet us.
jump from/out of/onto etc something
Three people saved themselves by jumping from the window.
3 . MOVE FAST [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move quickly or suddenly in a particular direction SYN leap
jump up/back/in etc
Matt jumped up to answer the phone.
We all jumped in a taxi.
She jumped to her feet and left.
4 . IN FEAR/SURPRISE [intransitive] to make a quick sudden movement because you are surprised or frightened:
Marcia jumped. ‘What’s that noise?’
Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you jump (=surprise or frighten you) .
Don’t shout. I nearly jumped out of my skin (=was very shocked or frightened) !
5 . INCREASE [intransitive] to increase or improve suddenly and by a large amount
jump (from ...) to something
Profits jumped to £2.6 million last year.
Norway jumped from ninth to third place.
► Do not say that an amount, level, price etc ‘jumps up’. Say that it jumps.
6 . KEEP CHANGING [intransitive and transitive] to change quickly and often from one idea, place, position etc to another – used to show disapproval
jump from something to something
Cathy kept jumping from one topic to another.
jump about/around (something)
I’ve been jumping about the file instead of working straight through it.
7 . MISS A STAGE [intransitive and transitive] to move suddenly to a further part of a book, discussion etc leaving out the part in between:
I’m afraid I jumped a couple of chapters.
jump to
The movie suddenly jumped ahead to the future.
8 . MACHINE [intransitive] if a machine or piece of equipment jumps, it moves suddenly because something is wrong with it:
Why does the video keep jumping like this?
9 . ATTACK [transitive] informal to attack someone suddenly:
Somebody jumped him in the park last night.
10 . jump to conclusions to form an opinion about something before you have all the facts:
There may be a simple explanation. Let’s not jump to conclusions.
11 . jump the gun to start doing something too soon, especially without thinking about it carefully
12 . jump for joy to be extremely happy and pleased
13 . jump down sb’s throat informal to suddenly speak angrily to someone
14 . jump the queue British English to go in front of others who are already waiting in a line – used to show disapproval ⇨ ↑ queue-jumping
15 . jump through hoops to do a series of things that are difficult or annoying, but that are necessary in order to achieve something:
We had to jump through hoops to get our visas in time.
16 . jump ship
a) to leave an organization that you are working for, especially in order to join another:
The best employees jumped ship at the first opportunity.
b) to leave a ship on which you are working as a sailor, without permission
17 . jump bail to leave a town, city, or country where a court of law has ordered you to stay until your ↑ trial 1 (1)
18 . jump to it! spoken used to order someone to do something immediately
19 . (go) jump in a lake! spoken used to rudely tell someone to go away
20 . jump the rails British English , jump the tracks American English if a train jumps the rails, it suddenly goes off the metal tracks it is moving along
21 . jump a light ( also jump the lights ) to drive through red ↑ traffic lights without stopping
22 . jump a train especially American English to travel on a train, especially a ↑ freight train , without paying
23 . jump the shark informal if a television series jumps the shark, something silly happens in it and from that time people stop thinking it is good
24 . CAR [transitive] American English to ↑ jump-start a car
25 . SEX [transitive] spoken not polite to have sex with someone
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ jump verb [intransitive and transitive] to push yourself up into the air, over something etc, using your legs:
The cat jumped up onto the table.
|
He jumped over the stream.
|
His horse jumped the fence successfully.
▪ skip verb [intransitive] to move forwards with little jumps between your steps, especially because you are feeling happy:
The little girl was skipping down the street.
▪ hop verb [intransitive] to jump or move around on one leg:
He was hopping around because he’d injured his foot.
▪ leap verb [intransitive and transitive] especially written to suddenly jump up high or a long way:
The deer leapt over the fence.
|
Tina leapt onto the boat as it was moving away.
|
Fish were leaping out of the water.
▪ bounce verb [intransitive] to jump up and down several times, especially on something that has springs in it:
Children love bouncing on beds.
▪ dive verb [intransitive] to jump into water with your head and arms first:
Zoë dived into the swimming pool.
▪ vault /vɔːlt $ vɒːlt/ verb [intransitive and transitive] especially written to jump over something in one movement, using your hands or a pole to help you:
He vaulted the ticket barrier and ran for the exit.
|
Ben tried to vault over the bar.
jump at something phrasal verb
to eagerly accept the chance to do something:
I jumped at the chance of a trip to Hong Kong.
jump in phrasal verb
to interrupt someone or suddenly join a conversation:
Lena quickly jumped in with a diverting remark.
jump on somebody phrasal verb informal
to criticize or punish someone, especially unfairly
jump on somebody for
He used to jump on me for every little mistake.
jump out at somebody phrasal verb
if something jumps out at you, it is extremely noticeable, often in a way you do not like:
I don’t like jewellery that jumps out at you.
II. jump 2 S3 BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . UP an act of pushing yourself suddenly up into the air using your legs SYN leap :
the best jump of the competition
a dancer famous for his impressive jumps
2 . DOWN an act of letting yourself drop from a place that is above the ground
do/make a jump
Douglas made his first 10,000-foot parachute jump yesterday.
3 . INCREASE a sudden large increase in an amount or value
jump in
a jump in inflation rates
4 . PROGRESS especially British English a large or sudden change, especially one that improves things:
The new law is a great jump forward for human rights.
5 . with a jump British English if you wake, sit up etc with a jump, you do it very suddenly because you are surprised or shocked:
She woke with a jump, hearing a noise downstairs.
6 . keep/stay etc a jump ahead (of somebody) British English informal to keep your advantage over the people you are competing with by always being the first to do or know something new
7 . SOMETHING YOU JUMP OVER a fence, gate, or wall that a person or horse has to jump over in a race or competition:
Her horse cleared all the jumps in the first round.
8 . get a jump on somebody/something American English informal to gain an advantage, especially by doing something earlier than usual or earlier than someone else:
I want to get a jump on my Christmas shopping.
⇨ ↑ high jump , ↑ long jump , ⇨ take a running jump at ↑ running 2 (8), ⇨ ↑ ski jump , ↑ triple jump