jump

1 /dZVmp/ verb

1 UPWARDS

a) (I) to push yourself suddenly up in the air using your legs

(+ over/across/onto etc): He jumped over the wall and ran off. | jump up and down: The kids love jumping up and down on their beds. | jump clear (=jump out of danger): We managed to jump clear of the car before it hit the wall.

b) (T) to go over or across something by jumping: They jumped the barriers to avoid paying for tickets.

2 DOWNWARDS (I) to let yourself drop from a place that is above the ground

(+ out/down etc): Three people saved themselves by jumping from the window.

3 MOVE FAST (intransitive always + adv/prep) to move quickly or suddenly in a particular direction

(+ out/away/up etc): Matt jumped up to fetch the TV guide.

4 IN FEAR/SURPRISE (I) to make a quick sudden movement because you are surprised or frightened: Sorry, I didn't mean to make you jump. | jump out of your skin (=move suddenly because you are very surprised)

5 MACHINE (I) if a machine jumps, it makes a wrong movement: The typewriter jumps every time you press `a'.

6 KEEP CHANGING (I) to change quickly from one place, position, idea etc to another, often missing something that comes in between: jump from sth to sth: Cathy's conversation jumped wildly from one topic to another. | jump ahead: I can't resist jumping ahead when I read crime novels.

7 INCREASE (I) to increase suddenly and by a large amount

(+ to): ICA's profits jumped to -20 million last year.

8 ATTACK (T) informal to attack someone suddenly: Somebody jumped him in the park last night.

9 jump down sb's throat informal to suddenly speak angrily to someone: You don't have to jump down my throat! I was only asking how you were.

10 jump to conclusions to form an opinion about something before you have all the facts: Don't jump to conclusions - he may just want to be friends.

11 jump the gun to start doing something too soon, especially without thinking about it properly

12 jump for joy to be extremely happy and pleased: You don't have to jump for joy, but at least smile!

13 (go) jump in a lake! spoken used to tell someone rudely to go away

14 jump to it! spoken used to order someone to do something immediately

15 jump bail to leave a town, city, or country where a court of law has ordered you to stay until your trial 1 (1)

16 jump rope AmE to jump over a rope as you pass it over you head and under your feet as a game; skip BrE

—see also: jump rope

17 jump the queue BrE jump in line AmE to join a line of people in front of others who were already waiting; cut (cut1 (17)) in line AmE

—see also: queue­jump

18 jump a light to drive past red traffic lights

19 jump a claim AmE old-fashioned to claim someone else's land as your own

20 jump a train especially AmE to travel on a train, especially a goods train, without paying

21 jump ship to leave a ship on which you are working as a sailor, without permission

22 SEX (I, T) AmE taboo to have sex with someone

23 CAR (T) AmE to start a car in which the battery 1 (1) has lost power by connecting it to the battery 1 of another car; jump­start1 (1)

jump at sth phrasal verb (T) to eagerly accept the chance to do something: Yvonne jumped at the chance of a trip to Asia. jump in phrasal verb (I) to interrupt someone or suddenly join a conversation jump on sb phrasal verb (T) informal to criticize or punish someone, especially unfairly (+ for): Ryder used to jump on me for every little mistake. jump out at sb phrasal verb (T) if something jumps out at you, it is extremely easy to notice 2 noun (C)

1 UP an act of pushing yourself suddenly up into the air using your legs: That was his best jump of the competition.

2 DOWN an act of letting yourself drop from a place that is above the ground: a parachute jump

3 STH YOU JUMP a fence, gate, or wall for jumping over in a race or competition: Her horse cleared all the jumps in the first round.

4 INCREASE a sudden large increase in an amount or value

(+ in): a jump in inflation rates

5 PROGRESS a large or sudden change, especially when it improves things: a great jump forward for human rights

6 stay one jump ahead of sb informal to keep your advantage over the people you are competing with by always being the first to do something new better

7 have the jump on sb informal especially AmE to have an advantage because you started doing what was necessary before your competitor

—see also: running jump, high jump, long jump