Words & TermsWork, bush and rural life
jumbuck
A sheep, especially in historical bush usage.
In a sentence
The song tells of a squatter whose jumbuck was taken.
Where it came from
Jumbuck is an early colonial Australian word for sheep, recorded in the 1820s. It probably arose in contact language involving Aboriginal speakers, but its precise source remains disputed.
- First recorded
- 1820s
- Initial era
- 1800–1849
- Where used
- Australian use; no narrower regional pattern established
- Use today
- Historical and literary; remembered