Meaning
A ghost or malevolent spirit. Though 'duppy' is the usual Jamaican word, 'jumbie' is the widespread term across the eastern Caribbean and is heard in Jamaica too and among the diaspora. It appears in plant and place names — the red-and-black 'jumbie bead' seed, and 'jumbie' dances and drums in some islands — all tied to the world of spirits.
Examples
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Pickney, come inside before jumbie ketch yuh.
Child, come inside before a spirit catches you.
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Dem seh a jumbie live inna di old house.
They say a ghost lives in the old house.
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Di jumbie bead red an black.
The jumbie bead is red and black.
Origin
Of West/Central African origin (compare Kongo 'zumbi'); the pan-Caribbean word for a ghost, alongside Jamaican [[duppy]]. See [[duppy]].
How it’s used
A ghost/spirit; the wider Caribbean term, used in Jamaica and the diaspora beside 'duppy'. See [[duppy]], [[rolling-calf]].