jamboree means A boisterous or lavish celebration or party.
jamboree is pronounced /ˌdʒæm.bəˈɹiː/.
Why “jamboree” is a great word
A large, boisterous, and festive gathering, particularly a celebratory rally for Scouts. Its etymology is unknown, emerging as 19th-century American slang, first attested in print in 1861, and later popularized by Robert Baden-Powell for Scout gatherings from 1919. Unlike a 'gala,' which implies formality and elegance, or an 'assembly,' which suggests purposeful order, a jamboree is fundamentally an eruption of informal, organized joy. It is the smell of woodsmoke and trampled grass, the cacophony of competing patrol songs, and the sight of a thousand neckerchiefs under a wide sky—a temporary, noisy village built not for living, but for the pure, exhausting practice of camaraderie.
Etymology
Unknown 19th-century American slang. Chosen by Baden-Powell in 1919 for use in the Scout Movement.
noun
- A boisterous or lavish celebration or party.
- A frolic or spree.e.g.“[']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.[']”
- A large rally of Scouts or Guides.e.g.“The campfires provide enough plain old regular visible light to show this sorry affair for what it is: a bunch of demented Boy Scouts, a jamboree without merit badges or hygiene.”
- In euchre: an undefeatable hand containing the five highest cards.
verb
- To take part in a jamboree.
Words closest in meaning
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