SKIP TO CONTENT

jabberwocky

/ˌdʒæbərˈwɑki/
IPA guide

Jabberwocky is nonsense or gibberish — words that don't really mean anything. Your mom might comment on the music you like by saying, "It just sounds like jabberwocky to me."

The made-up language you share with your sister can be described as jabberwocky, and so can the meaningless babble coming out of a toddler's mouth. The noun jabberwocky comes from a poem by the same name that Lewis Carroll included in his book "Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There," which he wrote in 1871. The poem is full of colorful nonsense words, including the word jabberwocky itself.

Definitions of jabberwocky
  1. noun
    nonsensical language (according to Lewis Carroll)
    see moresee less
    type of:
    bunk, hokum, meaninglessness, nonsense, nonsensicality
    a message that seems to convey no meaning
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘jabberwocky'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family