noun · countable / uncountable · rare

limbo

lim·bo

limbo · limbos · limboes

пішак

лимб, подвешенное состояние, лимбо

Limbus, Vorhölle, Schwebezustand

A speculative place or state, thought possibly to be on the edge of the bottomless pit…A speculative place or state, thought possibly to be on the edge of the bottomless pit of Hell, where the souls of innocent deceased people might exist temporarily until they can enter heaven, specifically those of the saints who died before the advent of Jesus Christ (who occupy the limbo patrum or limbo of the patriarchs or fathers) and those of unbaptized infants (who occupy the limbo infantum or limbo of the infants); (countable) the possible place where each category of souls might exist, regarded separately.

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UK/ˈlɪmbəʊ/US/ˈlɪmboʊ/

» Tom is in limbo.

Meaning

7 senses

(uncountable)A speculative place or state, thought possibly to be on the edge of the bottomless pit of Hell, where the souls of innocent deceased people might exist temporarily until they can enter heaven, specifically those of the saints who died before the advent of Jesus Christ (who occupy the limbo patrum or limbo of the patriarchs or fathers) and those of unbaptized infants (who occupy the limbo infantum or limbo of the infants); (countable) the possible place where each category of souls might exist, regarded separately.
Limbus, Vorhölle
лимбlimb
(broadly, countable, uncountable)Chiefly preceded by in: any in-between place, or condition or state, of neglect or oblivion which results in deadlock, delay, or some other unresolved status.
My passport application has been stuck in bureaucratic limbo for two weeks.
Schwebezustand
лимбlimb, подве́шенное состоя́ниеpodvéšennoje sostojánije
(countable)A type of antisubmarine mortar installed on naval vessels.
(also, attributive)A competitive dance originating from Trinidad and Tobago in which dancers take turns to cross under a horizontal bar while bending backwards. The bar is lowered with each round, and the competition is won by the dancer who passes under the bar in the lowest position without dislodging it or falling down.
ли́мбоlímbo
(archaic, broadly, slang, uncountable)Jail, prison; (countable) a jail cell or lockup.
(broadly, obsolete, uncountable)Synonym of Hades or Hell.
(broadly, obsolete, uncountable)Synonym of pawn (“the state of something being held as security for a loan, or as a pledge”).

More definitions

(theology) in Roman Catholicism, the place of unbaptized but innocent or righteous souls (such as infants and virtuous individuals)
an imaginary place for lost or neglected things
the state of being disregarded or forgotten

Examples

10 sentences

Tom is in limbo.
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It's still in limbo.
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Tom is stuck in legal limbo.
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The party had a limbo contest.
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The refugees are stuck in legal limbo.
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Translations

7 languages

Русский

By meaning 3

place where the souls of innocent deceased people exist temporarily until they can enter heaven:

in-between place, or condition or state, of neglect or oblivion:

competitive dance in which dancers take turns to cross under a horizontal bar while bending backwards:

Deutsch

By meaning 2

place where the souls of innocent deceased people exist temporarily until they can enter heaven:

in-between place, or condition or state, of neglect or oblivion:

Origin

The noun is derived from Middle English limbo, lymbo (“place where innocent souls exist te

The noun is derived from Middle English limbo, lymbo (“place where innocent souls exist temporarily until they can enter heaven”), from Latin limbō, the ablative singular of limbus (“border, edge; hem; fringe, tassel”) (notably in expressions like in limbō (“in limbo”) and e limbō (“out of limbo”)); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *lemb- (“to hang limply or loosely”), from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang down loosely (?)”). Doublet of limp.

Origin uncertain; possibly an alteration of limber (“bendable, flexible, pliant”) with the ending of the word respelled to represent a Caribbean English pronunciation.

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