# bumper

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbʌmpə/ · frequency rank #11,351

## Definitions
1. Someone or something that bumps.
2. A drinking vessel filled to the brim.
3. Anything large or successful.
4. Parts at the front and back of a vehicle which are meant to absorb the impact of a collision; fender.
5. Any mechanical device used to absorb an impact, soften a collision, or protect against impact.
6. A bouncer.
7. A side wall of a pool table.
8. A cylindrical object used (as a substitute for birds) to train dogs to retrieve.
9. A short ditty or jingle used to separate a show from the advertisements.
10. A covered house at a theatre, etc., in honour of some favourite performer.
11. A woman's posterior, particularly one that is considered full and desirable.
12. An extra musician (not notated in the score) who assists the principal French horn by playing less-exposed passages, so that the principal can save their 'lip' for difficult solos. Also applied to other sections of the orchestra.
13. An object on a playfield that applies force to the pinball when hit, often giving a minor increase in score.
14. A cigarette butt.
15. In National Hunt racing, a flat race for horses that have not yet competed either in flat racing or over obstacles.
16. A shoulder button on a gamepad.
17. Synonym of gutter guard (“rail to prevent a ball from rolling into the gutter”).

## Etymology
From bump + -er.

## Easily confused with
- **buyer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bumper-vs-buyer)
- **bumps** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bumper-vs-bumps)
- **bumpy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bumper-vs-bumpy)
- **butter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bumper-vs-butter)
- **butler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bumper-vs-butler)
- **burger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bumper-vs-burger)
- **bunker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bumper-vs-bunker)
- **burner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bumper-vs-burner)
- **buster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bumper-vs-buster)
- **buzzer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bumper-vs-buzzer)
- **busier** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bumper-vs-busier)
- **bump** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bump-vs-bumper)
- **bomber** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bomber-vs-bumper)
- **buffer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buffer-vs-bumper)
- **bumped** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bumped-vs-bumper)
- **bummer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bummer-vs-bumper)
- **bummed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bummed-vs-bumper)
- **bugger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bugger-vs-bumper)
- **bulger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulger-vs-bumper)
- **buller** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buller-vs-bumper)

## Common misspellings (9)
`bbumper`, `bmuper`, `bumepr`, `bummper`, `bumperr`, `bumpper`, `bumpre`, `bupmer`, `ubmper`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bumper