jump

The word "jump" most often describes the act of pushing yourself up or forward with your legs so that both feet leave the ground. It is a quick, lively action: a child jumps on a trampoline, a runner jumps over a hurdle, and a dog jumps up to greet its owner. We also use it for joyful movement, as in "She jumped with excitement when she heard the news."

But "jump" is not only about movement through the air. It can also describe a sudden reaction. A person might jump at a loud sound, and your heart might seem to jump when you get a shock. In these cases, the word suggests a quick, almost automatic response.

The word also appears in many common figurative uses. Prices can jump, meaning they go up quickly. You can jump at a chance, meaning you accept it eagerly. If you jump to conclusions, you decide something too quickly without enough facts. Someone who jumps the gun acts too soon.

In technical or special contexts, the word keeps the same idea of a fast move from one point to another. A computer program can jump to another part of its code, and a film can use a jump cut that moves suddenly from one shot to the next. Across all these uses, "jump" suggests speed, suddenness, and a clear move or change.