limbo

¹

[lim-boh]

noun

plural

limbos 

1. (often initial capital letter),  a region on the border of hell or heaven, serving as the abode after death of unbaptized infants limbo of infants and of the righteous who died before the coming of Christ limbo of the fathers, or limbo of the patriarchs.

2. a place or state of oblivion to which persons or things are regarded as being relegated when cast aside, forgotten, past, or out of date.

   My youthful hopes are in the limbo of lost dreams.

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

4. a place or state of imprisonment or confinement.

limbo

²

[lim-boh]

noun

plural

limbos 

1. a dance from the West Indies, originally for men only, 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.

limbo

¹

/ ˈlɪmbəʊ /

noun

1. (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

limbo

²

/ ˈlɪmbəʊ /

noun

1. a Caribbean dance in which dancers pass, while leaning backwards, under a bar

limbo

1. In the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church regarding the afterlife, the condition of innocent persons who die without benefit of baptism; those in limbo do not suffer damnation, but they do not enjoy the presence of God. Limbo means “a bordering place.”

Figuratively, “limbo” is a state of nonresolution or uncertainty: “Until he receives notice of his new posting, he'll be in limbo.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of limbo¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Medieval Latin phrase in limbō “on hell's border” ( Latin: “on the edge”), from Latin in “in, on” + limbō, ablative of limbus “edge, border”

Origin of limbo²

First recorded in 1955–60; of disputed origin; perhaps compare Jamaican English limba “to bend; easily bending”; limber ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of limbo¹

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

Origin of limbo²

C20: origin uncertain

Idioms and Phrases

see in limbo.

Example Sentences

It’s unfortunate that the final seasons of “Worst Cooks in America” were cloaked in a strange limbo.

From Salon

The three have been there in crowded cells for months, stuck in what their lawyers say is a bureaucratic limbo between Canada and the US.

From BBC

Until one of those happens, Sheffield Wednesday are stuck in takeover limbo, drifting towards a points deduction and likely relegation which will only increase the stress on players, staff, and fans.

From BBC

She and her son are now Indian citizens but her daughters, she says, have been in limbo for years.

From BBC

But that was followed by a long stretch in limbo, with albums and tours that were devoured by hardcore fans, without crossing over to the mainstream.

From BBC

Related Words

• oblivion