jumbie bead en · NOUN
Etymology
From jumbie + bead. Jumbie is apparently from Kongo zumbi (“fetish, spirit”) or Kimbundu nzumbi (“god”). Compare zombie.
Meanings
-
A jequirity bean, the seed of the jequirity plant (Abrus precatorius) used in beadwork or making percussion instruments.
In the Eastern Caribbean, Abrus seeds (Jumbie beads, John Crow beads in Jamaica) are made into necklaces and bracelets to serve as protection against Jumbies and malevolent forces.
2012, Robert Wyndham Nicholls, The Jumbies’ Playing Ground, page 12:“Dat too much. You pick de jumbie bead by de wayside, and run piece o’ string through dem, an’ you chargin’ me four dallaz? You got to be crims-crams. You crims-crams?” I asked.
2007, Sislyn Peters, Undocumented Citizen, page 179:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| jumbie beads | Number=Plur | lexicographic |