jump-start
JUMP-start
/ˈdʒʌmp.stɑːrt/
To start an automobile engine with a discharged battery by connecting booster cables to an external electrical power source like another vehicle's live battery.
Figuratively used to mean giving rapid momentum or quick stimulation to an economy, project, or career.
The story behind the word. Coined in mid-20th-century American English. The phrase captures the sudden 'jump' or electrical surge passed across jumper cables to kick-start a dead engine into immediate operation.
Word relationships
- boost: 'Boost' is informal automotive jargon for giving electrical jump power to a car.
Commonly confused with
- push-start: Push-starting involves rolling a manual transmission car downhill to start the engine, rather than using electrical cables.
Word family
- jump-started (verb): past tense of jump-start
- jump-starting (verb): present participle of jump-start
Collocations
- jump-start a car
- jump-start a battery
- give a jump-start
- booster cables for a jump-start
Example sentences
- "When she turned the key and heard only a faint clicking sound, a friendly neighbor offered to jump-start her dead battery." Emergency roadside troubleshooting
- "The tax cuts were intended to jump-start the sluggish local manufacturing economy." Figurative economic usage
Memory hook
Give a JUMP of electric spark to START a dead engine. Spark power to start a dead car.
When not to use
Do not use to mean starting an engine normally with an ignition key or push button.
Fun facts
- Connecting jumper cables in the wrong sequence or reversing positive and negative terminals can spark a hydrogen gas explosion or blow delicate electronic control units.
Related words
Explore more words
stimulate, invigorate, revitalize, bolster, catalyze, refuel
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.