To jump means to push yourself off the ground using your legs, launching your body into the air. When you jump, both feet leave the ground at once. You might jump to reach something high, jump over a puddle, jump rope with friends at recess, or jump for joy when you hear exciting news.

Athletes use jumping in countless ways: basketball players jump to shoot or block shots, gymnasts jump to start their routines, and track athletes compete in the long jump and high jump. Animals jump too: kangaroos can jump incredible distances, frogs jump to catch insects or escape danger, and grasshoppers use powerful legs to jump many times their own body length.

The word also describes sudden increases or changes. Prices might jump dramatically overnight. A story might jump from one scene to another without transition. Your heart might jump when something startles you. When someone jumps to conclusions, they decide something is true without having enough information, like assuming your friend is angry just because they didn't smile at you once.

You can also jump at an opportunity, meaning you accept it eagerly and immediately, or tell someone not to jump the gun by starting before they're supposed to.