jump the gun Definition

gun
noun

1. Any weapon which fires bullets or shells from a metal tube.
2. Any instrument which forces something out under pressure.

Example: spray gun
3. colloq
A gunman.
Example: a hired gun
4. A member of a party of hunters.
5. The signal to start a race, etc.

verb

gunned, gunning
1. colloq
To rev up (a car engine) noisily.

Idiom: go great guns

colloq
To function or be performed with great speed or success.

Idiom: jump the gun

See under jump.

Idiom: stick to one's guns

See under stick².

Etymology: 14c as gonne: probably from the Scandinavian female name Gunnhildr, both parts of which mean ‘war', from the medieval habit of giving large engines of war female names.

Phrasal Verb: be gunning for someone

To be searching determinedly for them, usually with hostile intent.

Phrasal Verb: be gunning for something

To try to obtain it.
Example: were gunning for a pay rise

Phrasal Verb: gun someone or something down

To shoot them or it with a gun.

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jump
verb jumped, jumping

intr
1. To spring off the ground, pushing off with the feet.
intr
2. To leap or bound.

Thesaurus: vault, leap, spring, surge, lurch, lunge, pop up, pop out, bound, skip; drop, plummet, plunge, dive.
3. To get over or across something by jumping.
4. To make something (especially a horse) leap.
intr
5. Said of prices, levels, etc: to rise abruptly.
intr
6. To make a startled movement.

Thesaurus: flinch, jerk, quail, quiver, waver, rattle, recoil, shrink, start, wince.
intr
7. To twitch, jerk or bounce.
intr
8. To pass directly from one point to another, omitting intermediate matter or essential steps
9. To omit; to skip.

Example: jump the next chapter
Thesaurus: skip, avoid, bypass, evade, miss.
10. colloq
To pounce on someone or something.
(N Amer)
11. colloq
To board and travel on (especially a train) without paying.
intr
12. To make a descent by parachute from an aircraft.
13. To fall off or out of (rails, a groove, etc).

Example: The train jumped the rails
14. colloq
Said of a car: to pass through (a red traffic light).
intr
15. colloq
To be lively.
Example: The disco was jumping
16. taboo
Said of a male: to have sexual intercourse with someone.

noun

1. An act of jumping.

Thesaurus: skip, hop, rise, pounce, spring, bound, lunge, leap, vault; plunge, fall, nosedive, plummet.
2. An obstacle to be jumped, especially a fence to be jumped by a horse.

Thesaurus: hurdle, bar, fence, barrier, impediment, gate, hedge, obstacle, rail.
3. The height or distance jumped.

Example: a jump of two metres
4. A jumping contest.

Example: the high jump
Example: the long jump
5. A sudden rise in amount, cost or value.

Example: a jump in prices
Thesaurus: ascent, advance, augmentation, boost, escalation, increase, rise, upsurge.
6. An abrupt change or move.
7. A startled movement; a start.

Example: gave a jump of surprise
8. A parachute descent.
9. slang
Convulsive movements; chorea; delirium tremens.
Form: the jumps

Idiom: be one jump ahead of someone (stay one jump ahead of someone)

colloq
To anticipate the moves of rivals, and so maintain an advantage over them.

Idiom: have the jump on someone

colloq
To have an advantage over them.

Idiom: jump bail

To abscond, forfeiting bail.

Idiom: jump down someone's throat

colloq
To snap at them impatiently.

Idiom: jump ship

colloq
Said of a sailor: to leave one's ship while still officially employed or in service, etc.

Idiom: jump the gun

To get off one's mark too soon; to act prematurely; to take an unfair advantage.

Idiom: jump the queue

To get ahead of one's turn.

Idiom: jump to conclusions

See under leap.

Idiom: jump to it

To hurry up.

Etymology: 16c: probably imitating the action of jumping.

Phrasal Verb: jump at something

To take or accept it eagerly.

Phrasal Verb: jump on someone

To attack them physically or verbally.