jumper cables

plural noun

Definition of jumper cables

: a pair of electrical cables with alligator clips used to make a connection for jump-starting a vehicle

Recent Examples of jumper cables from the Web

Price had the genial temperament of the good neighbor who always had jumper cables in the trunk of his car in case they were needed.

— bill livingston, cleveland.com, "WGC-Bridgestone Invitational: Goodbye to a tournament with global appeal - Bill Livingston (photos)," 12 Apr. 2018
Jumper Cables Any pair of jumper cables is better than not having any at all.

— timothy dahl, Popular Mechanics, "How to Jumpstart a Car," 26 Jan. 2017
Also bring jumper cables, a shovel, an ice scraper, as well as something that can be used for traction, such as cat litter or sand.

— lavendrick smith, charlotteobserver, "If you must drive in Charlotte this week, here’s tips for dealing with the ice, snow," 18 Jan. 2018
In addition, putting together a preparedness kit for vehicles that includes a car charger, ice scraper, jumper cables and blankets.

— AL.com, "Alabama roadways: Dangerous conditions expected due to winter weather," 16 Jan. 2018
Two men knocked on a door of a residence and asked a male resident for jumper cables.

— sarah lane, Washington Post, "Prince William County crime report," 21 Sep. 2017
Police responded to a report of a vehicle fire at about 9:03 p.m. Sept. 4 outside Marty’s Pizza, 2580 Sun Valley Drive, that was reportedly sparked by jumper cables.

— steven martinez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Delafield-Hartland police reports: Naked man walks in on Holiday Inn cleaning staff," 13 Sep. 2017
That includes keeping a full gas tank and preparing an emergency car kit, including items like jumper cables and a car cell phone charger.

— lavendrick smith, charlotteobserver, "If Irma hits NC, you’ll want to know about these Charlotte-area resources," 6 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jumper cables.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of jumper cables

circa 1926

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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JUMPER CABLES Defined for English Language Learners

jumper cables

noun

Definition of jumper cables for English Language Learners

: a pair of electrical cables that are used to start a car, truck, etc., when its battery is not working by connecting the battery to another source of power (such as another car's battery) : cables used to jump-start a vehicle