Link Centre Dictionary

pump

UK/pʌmp/ US/ˈpʌmp/ common slang uk us
verb (8) noun (3)

verb

1.

operate like a pump; move up and down, like a handle or a pedal

  • “pump the gas pedal”
2.

deliver forth

  • “pump bullets into the dummy”
3.

draw or pour with a pump

4.

supply in great quantities

  • “Pump money into a project”
5.
6.

move up and down

  • “The athlete pumps weights in the gym”
7.

raise (gases oor fluids) with a pump

8.

question persistently

  • “She pumped the witnesses for information”

noun

1.

a mechanical device that moves fluid or gas by pressure or suction

2.

the hollow muscular organ located behind the sternum and between the lungs; its rhythmic contractions move the blood through the body

  • “he stood still, his heart thumping wildly”
Synonyms
3.

a low-cut shoe without fastenings

Synonyms

Origin

The etymology of the term is unclear and disputed. One possibility is that it comes from pomp (“ornamentation”). Another is that it refers to the sound made by the foot moving inside the shoe when dancing. The Oxford English Dictionary claims that it appeared in the 16th century, and lists its origin as "obscure". It has also been linked to the Dutch pampoesje, possibly borrowed from Javanese pampus, ultimately from Persian پاپوش (pâpuš), borrowed from Arabic بَابُوش (bābūš).

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.