limbo

lim·bo ¹

 (lĭm′bō)

n. pl. lim·bos

1. often Limbo Roman Catholic Church The abode of unbaptized but innocent or righteous souls, as those of infants or virtuous individuals who lived before the coming of Christ.

2. A condition of prolonged uncertainty or neglect: Management kept her promotion in limbo for months.

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[Middle English, from Medieval Latin (in) limbō, (in) Limbo, ablative of limbus, Limbo (conventionally thought to exist on the outer border of Hell), from Latin, border.]

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lim·bo ²

 (lĭm′bō)

n. pl. lim·bos

A West Indian dance in which the dancers repeatedly bend over backward and pass under a pole that is lowered slightly with each pass.

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[Probably ultimately of African origin.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

limbo

(ˈlɪmbəʊ)

n, pl -bos

1. (Theology) (often capital) RC Church the supposed abode of infants dying without baptism and the just who died before Christ

2. an imaginary place for lost, forgotten, or unwanted persons or things

3. an unknown intermediate place or condition between two extremes: in limbo.

4. a prison or confinement

[C14: from Medieval Latin in limbo on the border (of hell)]

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limbo

(ˈlɪmbəʊ)

n, pl -bos

(Dancing) a Caribbean dance in which dancers pass, while leaning backwards, under a bar

[C20: origin uncertain]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

lim•bo¹

(ˈlɪm boʊ)

n., pl. -bos.

1. (often cap.) a region on the border of hell or heaven in Roman Catholic teaching, serving as the abode after death of unbaptized infants and of the righteous who died before the coming of Christ.

2. a place or state of oblivion for persons or things cast aside, forgotten, or out of date.

3. an intermediate, transitional, or midway state or place.

4. a place or state of imprisonment or confinement.

[1300–50; Middle English < Medieval Latin in limbō on hell's border (Latin: on the edge) =in on + limbō, abl. of limbus edge, border; compare limbus]

lim•bo²

(ˈlɪm boʊ)

n., pl. -bos.

a dance from the West Indies in which the dancer bends backward from the knees and moves with a shuffling step under a horizontal bar that is lowered after each successive pass.

[1955–60; compare Jamaican E limba to bend; see limber¹]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

limbo

A West Indian dance in which the dancer, bending backwards, passes under a horizontally supported stick, without touching it, to rhythmic accompaniment.

Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	limbo - the state of being disregarded or forgotten oblivion obscurity - an obscure and unimportant standing; not well known; "he worked in obscurity for many years"
	2.	limbo - an imaginary place for lost or neglected things fictitious place, imaginary place, mythical place - a place that exists only in imagination; a place said to exist in fictional or religious writings
	3.	limbo - (theology) in Roman Catholicism, the place of unbaptized but innocent or righteous souls (such as infants and virtuous individuals) fictitious place, imaginary place, mythical place - a place that exists only in imagination; a place said to exist in fictional or religious writings theology, divinity - the rational and systematic study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truth

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

limbo

noun

in limbo in a state of uncertainty, neglected, up in the air, in abeyance, betwixt and between, not knowing whether one is coming or going (informal) I felt as though I was in limbo.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

Limbo

limbeslimbo

limbo

limbolimbusvagevuurvoorgeborchte

limbo

[ˈlɪmbəʊ] N (Rel) (also Limbo) → limbo m; (= dance) → limbo m
to be in limbo [person] → quedarse nadando entre dos aguas

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

limbo

[ˈlɪmbəʊ] n
to be in limbo (= between two stages) → dans le flou

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

limbo

¹

n

(Rel) → Vorhölle f, → Limbus m (spec)

(fig) → Übergangs- or Zwischenstadium nt; our expansion plans are in limbo because of lack of money → unsere Erweiterungspläne sind wegen Geldmangels in der Schwebe; I’m in a sort of limbo → ich hänge in der Luft (inf)

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limbo

²

n (= dance) → Limbo m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

limbo

[ˈlɪmbəʊ] n (Rel) (also) (fig) → limbo

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995