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mumbo jumbo definition

mumbo jumbo (mum′bō jum′bō)

  1. among certain West African tribes, an idol or god believed to protect the people from evil and terrorize the women into subjection
    1. any idol or fetish
    2. any object of fear or dread
  3. meaningless ritual
  4. gibberish

Etymology: of Afr orig.: meaning, form, & dialect uncert.

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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