jamboree

Unknown 19th-century American slang. Chosen by Baden-Powell in 1919 for use in the Scout Movement.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌdʒæm.bəˈɹiː/

• Audio (AU)

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jamboree (plural jamborees)

1. A boisterous or lavish celebration or party.
   • 1963, J P Donleavy, A Singular Man, published 1963 (USA), pages 244, 245:

     George reeling quietly through the heavy revolving doors into this elderly place. To tip toe across the fat carpet and whisper boo at the reception desk.
     "Can I help you sir."
     Smith looking out at the eyes. Holding the counter with uncertain hands. Mouth opening and closing. Eyes fixed on all the hanging keys. To open doors. Shirl seems to stand somewhere behind this desk. With her unlit heart. However cold you get, remember me. Gripped in solitude. There can't be a jamboree all the time.

2. (dated, slang) A frolic or spree.
   • 1898 August, Rudyard Kipling, “‘In Ambush’”, in Stalky & Co., London: Macmillan & Co., published 1899, →OCLC, page 4:

     [']Chuck us down that net on top of the lockers, Stalky.' / 'That's all right. It's a collapsible jamboree, too. Beastly luxurious dogs these fags are. Built like a fishin'-rod.[']

     The word, describing a butterfly-net, appears to be used in the sense of gizmo or thingamajig.

   • W. A. Fraser

     A Calcutta-made pony cart had been standing in front of the manager's bungalow when Raja Singh started on his jamboree.

3. (scouting) A large rally of Scouts or Guides.
   • 2023 August 9, Raphael Rashid, “‘Worst nightmare’: South Korea mulls disastrous Scout jamboree”, in The Guardian‎, →ISSN:

     According to recent revelations, much of the jamboree’s 117.1bn won (£700,000) budget was spent on the operation of the organising committee, which seems to have included many lavish trips abroad, sometimes to countries such as Switzerland and Italy that have never hosted jamborees.

4. (card games) In euchre: an undefeatable hand containing the five highest cards.

• jamborette

From English jamboree.

• IPA^(key): /ˈjɑmboreː/, [ˈjɑ̝mbo̞re̞ː]
• Rhymes: -ɑmboreː
• Syllabification^(key): jam‧bo‧ree

jamboree

1. jamboree (of Scouts)

• “jamboree”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

• IPA^(key): /ʒɑ̃.bɔ.ʁi/, /ʒam.bɔ.ʁi/[1][2]

jamboree m (plural jamborees)

1. jamboree

• “jamboree”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Borrowed from French jamboree.

jamboree f (plural jamboree)

1. jamboree