bump

/bəmp/

/bəmp/

Other forms: bumped; bumping; bumps

A bump is an area that bulges out, like a pregnant woman's stomach. To bump someone is to knock into them.

A pimple is a little bump. A camel’s hump is a larger bump. There are speed bumps sticking up in the road to keep drivers from going too fast. When you bump someone, you hit them with your whole body. If the person in front of you stops walking and you're not paying attention, you might bump right into them. Bumping often happens by accident, unless of course you are doing "the bump" (a 1970's dance).

Definitions of bump

1. noun

   an impact (as from a collision)
   “the bump threw him off the bicycle”

   synonyms: blow

   types:

   jar, jolt, jounce, shock

   a sudden jarring impact

   concussion

   any violent blow

   rap, strike, tap

   a gentle blow

   bang, bash, belt, knock, smash

   a vigorous blow

   buffeting, pounding

   repeated heavy blows

   sideswipe

   a glancing blow from or on the side of something (especially motor vehicles)

   slap, smack

   a blow from a flat object (as an open hand)

   type of:

   impact

   the striking of one body against another
2. noun

   something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from its surroundings
   synonyms: bulge, excrescence, extrusion, gibbosity, gibbousness, hump, jut, prominence, protrusion, protuberance, swelling

   types:

   frontal eminence

   either prominence of the frontal bone above each orbit

   occipital protuberance

   prominence on the outer surface of the occipital bone

   belly

   a part that bulges deeply

   caput

   a headlike protuberance on an organ or structure

   mogul

   a bump on a ski slope

   nub, nubble

   a small lump or protuberance

   snag

   a sharp protuberance

   wart

   any small rounded protuberance (as on certain plants or animals)

   type of:

   projection

   any solid convex shape that juts out from something
3. noun

   a lump on the body caused by a blow
   type of:

   harm, hurt, injury, trauma

   any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
4. verb

   come upon, as if by accident; meet with
   synonyms: chance, encounter, find, happen
5. verb

   knock against with force or violence
   “My car bumped into the tree”

   synonyms: knock

   type of:

   collide with, hit, impinge on, run into, strike

   hit against; come into sudden contact with
6. verb

   dance erotically or dance with the pelvis thrust forward
   type of:

   dance, trip the light fantastic, trip the light fantastic toe

   move in a pattern; usually to musical accompaniment; do or perform a dance
7. verb

   remove or force from a position of dwelling previously occupied
   synonyms: dislodge

   types:

   throw

   cause to fall off

   type of:

   displace

   cause to move, usually with force or pressure
8. verb

   assign to a lower position; reduce in rank
   synonyms: break, demote, kick downstairs, relegate

   types:

   sideline

   remove from the center of activity or attention; place into an inferior position

   reduce

   bring to humbler or weaker state or condition

   type of:

   assign, delegate, depute, designate

   give an assignment to (a person) to a post, or assign a task to (a person)