jumbie bead

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English

jumbie beads, Abrus precatorius seeds on a thread

Etymology

Of jumbie +‎ bead. The initial portion is apparently from Kongo zumbi (fetish, spirit) or Kimbundu nzumbi (god).[1] Compare zombie.

Noun

jumbie bead (plural jumbie beads)

  1. A jequirity bean, the seed of the jequirity plant (Abrus precatorius) used in beadwork or making percussion instruments.
    Synonyms: jumble-bead, jumbie bean, rosary pea
    • 2007, Sislyn Peters, Undocumented Citizen, page 179:
      “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.
    • 2012, Robert Wyndham Nicholls, The Jumbies’ Playing Ground, page 12:
      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.

References

  1. ^ jumbie bead, n.” under jumbie, n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required, Oxford: Oxford University Press, June 2022.