lumper

[ luhm-per ]

noun

1. a day laborer employed to handle cargo, as fish or timber.
2. Biology Informal. a taxonomist who believes that classifications should emphasize similarities among organisms and therefore favors large, inclusive taxa ( splitter ).

lumper

/ ˈlʌmpə /

noun

1. a stevedore; docker

Word History and Origins

Origin of lumper¹

1775–85; lump ¹ (in v. sense) + -er ¹

Example Sentences

“I’m very conservative, and I’m a lumper at heart,” he admits.

From National Geographic

In your book, you call yourself a "lumper."

From Salon

Workers enter the facility the same way Atlantic redfish do—from the dock out back—as “lumpers” haul full-bodied fish out of boats just a few yards from an outdoor hand-washing station.

From National Geographic

He was not a splitter, but a lumper, a seeker of deeper anatomy.

From Literature

Longshoremen, railroad workers, teamsters, the lumpers who load trailers, warehouse workers, and retail clerks are all at risk of being forced into unemployment.

From Salon