mumbo jumbo: Meaning and Definition of

mum•bo jum•bo

Pronunciation: (mum'bō jum'bō), [key]
— pl. mum•bo jum•bos.
  1. meaningless incantation or ritual.
  2. senseless or pretentious language, usually designed to obscure an issue, confuse a listener, or the like.
  3. an object of superstitious awe or reverence.
  4. (caps.) the guardian of western Sudan villages symbolized by a masked man who combats evil and punishes women for breaches of tribal laws.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.