jump in

See also: jumpin'

English

Etymology

For the US slang sense, compare jump (“attack suddenly and violently”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒʌmp ˈɪn/

Verb

jump in (third-person singular simple present jumps in, present participle jumping in, simple past and past participle jumped in)

1. To enter something quickly, usually a mode of transport.

   I jumped in the car, and we sped off to the meeting.

2. To join in on an activity quickly.
3. To interrupt someone while they are speaking.
4. (US slang) To initiate into an organization, usually a gang, with violence.
   • 1996, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Phil Beauman, 53:46 from the start, in Paris Barclay, director, Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, spoken by Toothpick and Al Dog (Darrel Heath and Alex Thomas):

     [Toothpick:] Been hanging with the homies in the hood for a while now / [Al Dog:] 'Bout time we jump your punk ass in / [Toothpick:] That's right. Let me tell you something in this world if you can't swim / [Al Dog:] You bound to drizzown / [Toothpick:] Yeah, and if you fall you better pick your punk ass up / [Al Dog:] That's right / [Toothpick, turning to the rest of the gang:] And the rest of y'all don't cut him no slack. Y'all fools get busy [they precede to a game of jump rope with the young man Toothpick and Al Dog were talking to jumping]

   • 2018, Katie Galloway, 25:31 from the start, in Katie Galloway, director, The Pushouts (DVD), spoken by self (Victor Rios), Curious Matters; Cam Bay Productions:

     His [my cousin's] uncle was already in the gang. […] So, we go up to the guys, we didn't even know how to ask, kinda like "Hey, uh, can we get jumped in?" And they're like, "Yeah, come on." And all I remember is I landed on the ground and he [one of the gang members] got on top of me and boom! I blanked out.

   • 2021 August 23, Bobby Wilson, Tommy Pico, “What About Your Dad”, in Sydney Freeland, director, Reservation Dogs, season 1, episode 4 (television production), spoken by Jackie and Elora Danan Postoak (Elva Guerra and Devery Jacobs), via FX Network:

     [Jackie:] Look, I know you're saving up money to go to California, but I know those kids ain't as serious as you. So when you get tired of them, I'll be able to let you into our group. I mean, we'd probably have to jump you in or something, but... / [Elora:] You just ganged up on my friend. What makes you think I'm just gonna jump ship?

5. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see jump,‎ in.
   • 1976, J. R. Linn, Dorothy Donaldson, Anne Saunders, Mabel Bruce, Jean Ellis, Janet Trischuk, Magic Letters, revised edition, Toronto, Ont.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston of Canada, Limited, →ISBN, page 78:

     Cathy led the pig down to the pen. “Don’t jump in the mud,” she said. But a pig is a pig. It jumped in the mud.

   • 1996, Stephen Fry, “Making Friends: The History Muse”, in Making History, London: Hutchinson, →ISBN, page 32:

     From the way you skip and jump in the air when excited.

   • 2010, Kathy Ermler, Joella H. Mehrhof, Joan Carley-Brewer, Bob FitzPatrick, Flash Fitness & the Incredible Physical Activites: A Super-Hero Approach to Meeting the National Physical Education Standards in Grades K-5, Sewickley, Pa.: National Association for Sport and Physical Education, →ISBN, page 110:

     Place the hoop on the floor. Jump in the hoop, bring the hoop overhead, and place the hoop on floor again.

Synonyms

• (initiate into an organization): haze