jumbie bead

English

jumbie beads, Abrus precatorius seeds on a thread

Etymology

Of jumbie +‎ bead. The initial portion is apparently from Kongo zumbi (“fetish, spirit”) or Kimbundu nzumbi (“god”). Compare zombie.

Noun

jumbie bead (plural jumbie beads)

1. A jequirity bean, the seed of the jequirity plant (Abrus precatorius) used in beadwork or making percussion instruments.

   Synonyms: jumble-bead, jumbie bean, rosary pea

   • 2007, Sislyn Peters, Undocumented Citizen, page 179:

     “Dat too much. You pick de jumbie bead by de wayside, and run piece o’ string through dem, an’ you chargin’ me four dallaz? You got to be crims-crams. You crims-crams?” I asked.

   • 2012, Robert Wyndham Nicholls, The Jumbies’ Playing Ground, page 12:

     In the Eastern Caribbean, Abrus seeds (Jumbie beads, John Crow beads in Jamaica) are made into necklaces and bracelets to serve as protection against Jumbies and malevolent forces.