moko jumbie

noun

A carnival performer in the Caribbean who walks or dances on stilts.

OriginKongo moko →
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Meanings

nounmoko jumbie (plural moko jumbies)

plural moko jumbies

  1. CaribbeanA carnival performer in the Caribbean who walks or dances on stilts.

Origin

  1. Kongozumbi“fetish, spirit”
  2. Kongomoko“curer, diviner”
  3. Englishmoko jumbie

Possibly from Kongo moko (“curer, diviner”) or from Moko, the name of a person or group of people, with English jumbie, itself from Kongo zumbi (“fetish, spirit”).

More words from Kongo

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

moko jumbie. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moko%20jumbie

MLA

“moko jumbie.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moko%20jumbie. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “moko jumbie,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moko%20jumbie.

Source: moko jumbie on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.