jumbo

noun

jum·​bo ˈjəm-(ˌ)bō How to pronounce jumbo (audio)
plural jumbos
: a very large specimen of its kind
jumbo adjective

Examples of jumbo in a Sentence

the winner in the contest for biggest pumpkin was a jumbo that weighed in at over a thousand pounds
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With Alex Palczewski moving into the starting lineup at LG, could be that Crum is Denver's new jumbo tight end. Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025 Houston also jumbo-sized their lineup during the third preseason game, going with Amen Thompson (6-foot-7), Jabari Smith (6-foot-11), Kevin Durant (6-foot-11), Alperen Sengun (6-foot-11) and Steven Adams (6-foot-11). Stan Son, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025 And yet, after a series of further downward spirals that will dig this scalawag even deeper into a hole and some supernatural mumbo-jumbo, his luck curiously starts to change…. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025 Proprietary reverse mortgages aren't beholden to those limits; however, and Mutual of Omaha offers SecureEquity jumbo reverse mortgages up to $4 million. Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for jumbo

Word History

Etymology

Jumbo, a huge elephant exhibited by P. T. Barnum

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jumbo was in 1883

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jumbo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jumbo. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

jumbo

noun
jum·​bo ˈjəm-bō How to pronounce jumbo (audio)
plural jumbos
: something very large of its kind
jumbo adjective
Etymology

from Jumbo, name of a huge elephant shown by circus owner P. T. Barnum

More from Merriam-Webster on jumbo

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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