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bump (bŭmp)
Share:
v. bumped, bump·ing, bumps
v.tr.
1. To strike or collide with: bumped the chair with a knee.
2. To cause to knock against an obstacle: bumped a knee against the chair.
3.
a. To knock to a new position; shift: bumped the crate out of the way.
b. To shake up and down; jolt: bumped the child on her knee; was bumped about on a rough flight.
4.
a. To displace from a position within a group or organization.
b. To deprive (a passenger) of reserved travel accommodations because of overbooking.
5. To raise; boost: bump up the price of gasoline.
6. Sports To pass (a volleyball) by redirecting it with the forearms.
v.intr.
1. To hit or knock against something: boxes bumping against one another in a truck.
2. To proceed with jerks and jolts: bumped along slowly over the rocky terrain.
3. Sports To bump a volleyball.
n.
1.
a. A blow, collision, or jolt.
b. The sound of something bumping: heard a loud bump in the dark.
2.
a. A raised or rounded spot; a bulge.
b. A slight swelling or lump.
c. Informal See baby bump.
3. A rise or increase, as in prices or enrollment.
4. A forward thrust of the pelvis, as in a burlesque striptease.
5. Sports A pass in volleyball made by redirecting the ball with the inside of the forearms, especially when extended and held together.
6. Slang
a. A small dose of an illegal drug, especially cocaine inhaled in powdered form.
b. A shot of hard liquor, sometimes accompanied by a beer chaser.
Phrasal Verbs:
bump into
To meet by chance: I often bump into him at the supermarket.
bump off Slang
To murder.
[Imitative.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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