bump

Pronunciation

• enPR: bŭmp, IPA ^(key): /bʌmp/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Noun

Singular bump

Plural bumps

1. (countable) A bump is a small impact between two things.

   I felt a slight bump as the plane touched the landing strip.

2. (countable) A bump is a sound that might be made when two things hit each other.

   I looked up when I heard the bump of a car as it drove into another one parked outside my house.

3. (countable) A bump is a small lump or swelling on something that is smooth.

   Try to drive round the big bump in the road.

4. (medicine), (countable) A bump is a small lump or swelling on the skin or anywhere else on your body.

   I rubbed the small bump on my nose, and wondered if it was going to get any bigger.

Related words

• bumper

Verb

Plain form bump

Third-person singular bumps

Past tense bumped

Past participle bumped

Present participle bumping

1. (intransitive) If something bumps, it knocks gently against something else, usually making a small noise.

   I could hear the open door bumping in the breeze.

2. (transitive) If you bump something, you knock it slightly.

   He bumped the chair as he walked past, so I put it back in place again.