Library / English Dictionary

JUMBLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A theory or argument made up of miscellaneous or incongruous ideas

Synonyms:

hodgepodge; jumble; patchwork

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("jumble" is a kind of...):

theory (a belief that can guide behavior)

Derivation:

jumble (bring into random order)

jumble (assemble without order or sense)

jumble (be all mixed up or jumbled together)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Small flat ring-shaped cake or cookie

Synonyms:

jumbal; jumble

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("jumble" is a kind of...):

cake (baked goods made from or based on a mixture of flour, sugar, eggs, and fat)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A confused multitude of things

Synonyms:

clutter; fuddle; jumble; mare's nest; muddle; smother; welter

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("jumble" is a kind of...):

disorder; disorderliness (a condition in which things are not in their expected places)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "jumble"):

rummage (a jumble of things to be given away)

Derivation:

jumble (bring into random order)

jumble (assemble without order or sense)

jumble (be all mixed up or jumbled together)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Bring into random order

Synonyms:

jumble; scramble; throw together

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "jumble" is one way to...):

disarray; disorder (bring disorder to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "jumble"):

tumble (throw together in a confused mass)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

jumble (a theory or argument made up of miscellaneous or incongruous ideas)

jumble (a confused multitude of things)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Assemble without order or sense

Example:

She jumbles the words when she is supposed to write a sentence

Synonyms:

confuse; jumble; mix up

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "jumble" is one way to...):

assemble; piece; put together; set up; tack; tack together (create by putting components or members together)

Verb group:

confound; confuse (mistake one thing for another)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "jumble"):

addle; muddle; puddle (mix up or confuse)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

jumble (a theory or argument made up of miscellaneous or incongruous ideas)

jumble (a confused multitude of things)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Be all mixed up or jumbled together

Example:

His words jumbled

Synonyms:

jumble; mingle

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "jumble" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

jumble (a theory or argument made up of miscellaneous or incongruous ideas)

jumble (a confused multitude of things)

Credits

 Context examples: 

"Oh, gracious! What shall I say?" cried Sallie, as Fred ended his rigmarole, in which he had jumbled together pell-mell nautical phrases and facts out of one of his favorite books.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The rest of the half-year is a jumble in my recollection of the daily strife and struggle of our lives; of the waning summer and the changing season; of the frosty mornings when we were rung out of bed, and the cold, cold smell of the dark nights when we were rung into bed again; of the evening schoolroom dimly lighted and indifferently warmed, and the morning schoolroom which was nothing but a great shivering-machine; of the alternation of boiled beef with roast beef, and boiled mutton with roast mutton; of clods of bread-and-butter, dog's-eared lesson-books, cracked slates, tear-blotted copy-books, canings, rulerings, hair-cuttings, rainy Sundays, suet-puddings, and a dirty atmosphere of ink, surrounding all.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

It's very funny when well done, and makes a perfect jumble of tragical comical stuff to laugh over.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

I really feel like a dissipated London fine lady, writing here so late, with my room full of pretty things, and my head a jumble of parks, theaters, new gowns, and gallant creatures who say Ah! and twirl their blond mustaches with the true English lordliness.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)