Jab Jab

Pronounced /JAB jab/nounCarnival

Meaning

A traditional devil mas character. The Jab Jab wears satin knickers and a satin shirt with pointed cloth panels hung with bells, a decorated chest panel and a hood with stuffed cloth horns, and swings and cracks a thick whip of plaited hemp.

Stand back when the Jab Jab crack he whip!

Stand back when the devil character cracks his whip!

Where it comes from

From the French patois for 'diable diable' (devil devil), according to the National Carnival Commission.

Used in

HistoryTraditional Mas Characters of Trinidad Carnival

Sources

National Carnival Commission: Traditional mas characters, Devils and Jab Jab

Last verified 3 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.