September 10, 2011 - Word of the Day: jump

When a person jumps, both feet are lifted up into the air, and for a very brief period of time, the entire body is airborne. Eventually, a person who jumps lands on something:

He jumped and landed in a soft pile of sand.

There are a few other meanings for this word when it's used as a verb:

• When I saw the price for the car, I jumped on it. (jump = act quickly)
• She jumped to a conclusion too quickly when she saw her boyfriend with another girl. (She created an idea in her mind that was false.)
• Dan jumped into the stock market at just the right time and made a lot of money. (jump in = get started; do something new.)
• A man got jumped in an alley and all of his money was stolen. (get jumped = get robbed)

You can also use "jump" as a noun:

• My car needs a jump. (The battery needs a charge from another car battery.)
• We need to get a jump on the competition. (To get a jump on something is to find some kind of an advantage.)
• There was a jump in interest rates last week. (a jump = a sudden increase)

Word of the Day for September 9, 2011: rise

Word of the Day: August 2011

Word of the Day: July 2011