bump

Where “bump” sits in English frequency

Definition

1. 1
   A light blow or jolting collision.
2. 2
   The sound of such a collision.
3. 3
   A protuberance on a level surface.
4. 4
   A swelling on the skin caused by illness or injury.
5. 5
   One of the protuberances on the cranium which, in phrenology, are associated with distinct faculties or affections of the mind. Also (dated, metonymic) the faculty itself
6. 6
   The point, in a race in which boats are spaced apart at the start, at which a boat begins to overtake the boat ahead.
7. 7
   The swollen abdomen of a pregnant woman.
8. 8
   A post in an Internet forum thread made in order to raise the thread's profile by returning it to the top of the list of active threads.
9. 9
   A temporary increase in a quantity, as shown in a graph.
10. 10
    A dose of a drug such as ketamine or cocaine, when snorted recreationally.
11. 11
    A disco dance in which partners rhythmically bump their hips together.
12. 12
    In skipping, a single jump over two consecutive turns of the rope.
13. 13
    A coarse cotton fabric.
14. 14
    A training match for a fighting dog.
15. 15
    The jaw of either of the middle pockets.
16. 16
    Music, especially played over speakers at loud volume with strong bass frequency response.
17. 17
    A short, self-promotional spot on a radio or television station.
18. 18
    A reassignment of jobs within an organization (for example, when an existing employee leaves) on the basis of seniority.
19. 19
    In the game of khanhoo, the act of claiming a newly discarded card when it is not one's turn, permitted when one can use the card to form a meld other than a sequence.
20. 20
    A minor problem or difficulty.
21. 21
    A sudden movement of underground strata, preceded by a characteristic sound.

Etymology

From Early Modern English bump (“a shock, blow from a collision”), probably of North Germanic origin; compare Danish bump (“a thump”), Danish bumpe (“to thump”), Old Danish bumpe (“to strike with a clenched fist”), all probably of imitative origin. Apparently related to Middle English bumben, bummen (“to make a hollow noise”), Dutch bommen (“to hum, buzz”), German Low German bumsen (“to bump, push”), German bummen (“to hum, buzz”), Icelandic bumba (“drum”). More at bum, bumble. Compare also bomb.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbump,bmup,bummp,bumpp,bupm,ubmp

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bump - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

Frequently Asked Questions