bump  (b ŭmp)
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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. 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 ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. 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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