pump

¹

[ puhmp ]

noun

1. an apparatus or machine for raising, driving, exhausting, or compressing fluids or gases by means of a piston, plunger, or set of rotating vanes.
2. Engineering, Building Trades. a shore having a jackscrew in its foot for adjusting the length or for bearing more firmly against the structure to be sustained.
3. Biology. an animal organ that propels fluid through the body; heart.
4. Cell Biology. a system that supplies energy for transport against a chemical gradient, as the sodium pump for the transfer of sodium and potassium ions across a cell membrane.

verb (used with object)

1. to raise, drive, etc., with a pump.
2. to free from water or other liquid by means of a pump.
3. to inflate by pumping (often followed by up ):

   to pump a tire up.

4. to operate or move by an up-and-down or back-and-forth action.
5. to supply with air, as an organ, by means of a pumplike device.
6. to drive, force, etc., as if from a pump:

   He rapidly pumped a dozen shots into the bull's-eye.

7. to supply or inject as if by using a pump:

   to pump money into a failing business.

8. to question artfully or persistently to elicit information:

   to pump someone for confidential information.

9. to elicit (information) by questioning.

verb (used without object)

1. to work a pump; raise or move water, oil, etc., with a pump.
2. to operate as a pump does.
3. to move up and down like a pump handle.
4. to exert oneself in a manner likened to pumping:

   He pumped away at his homework all evening.

5. to seek to elicit information from a person.
6. to come out in spurts.

verb phrase

1. 1. to inflate.
   2. to increase, heighten, or strengthen; put more effort into or emphasis on; intensify:

      The store has decided to pump up its advertising.

   3. to infuse with enthusiasm, competitive spirit, energy, etc.:

      The contestants were all backstage pumping themselves up for their big moment.

pump

²

[ puhmp ]

noun

1. a lightweight, low-cut shoe without fastenings for women.
2. a slip-on black patent leather shoe for men, for wear with formal dress.

pump

¹

/ pʌmp /

noun

1. a low-cut low-heeled shoe without fastenings, worn esp for dancing
2. a type of shoe with a rubber sole, used in games such as tennis; plimsoll

pump

²

/ pʌmp /

noun

1. any device for compressing, driving, raising, or reducing the pressure of a fluid, esp by means of a piston or set of rotating impellers
2. biology a mechanism for the active transport of ions, such as protons, calcium ions, and sodium ions, across cell membranes

   a sodium pump

verb

1. whentr, usually foll by from, out, into, away, etc to raise or drive (air, liquid, etc, esp into or from something) with a pump or similar device
2. tr; usually foll by in or into to supply in large amounts

   to pump capital into a project

3. tr to deliver (shots, bullets, etc) repeatedly with great force
4. to operate (something, esp a handle or lever) in the manner of a pump or (of something) to work in this way

   to pump the pedals of a bicycle

5. tr to obtain (information) from (a person) by persistent questioning
6. intr; usually foll by from or out of (of liquids) to flow freely in large spurts

   oil pumped from the fissure

pump

/ pŭmp /

1. A device used to raise or transfer fluids. Most pumps function either by compression or suction.
2. A molecular mechanism for the active transport of ions or molecules across a cell membrane.

Other Words From

• pumpa·ble adjective
• pumpless adjective
• pumplike adjective
• un·pumpa·ble adjective
• un·pumped adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pump¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English noun pumpe, pompe; cognate with German Pumpe, Dutch pomp

Origin of pump²

First recorded in 1720–30; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of pump¹

C16: of unknown origin

Origin of pump²

C15: from Middle Dutch pumpe pipe, probably from Spanish bomba, of imitative origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. prime the pump,
   1. to increase government expenditure in an effort to stimulate the economy.
   2. to support or promote the operation or improvement of something.
2. pump iron. iron ( def 29 ).

Example Sentences

Hydrating the salt releases heat, which is used to heat the building, and extra heat from the heat pump at other times of day is required to dehydrate, or charge, the TCM.

From Science Daily

The news comes a month after it was announced £2bn is to be pumped into expanding London Gateway and London Stansted Airport.

From BBC

Coastal desalination plants often pump the brine back into the ocean.

From Science Daily

Heart failure occurs when the heart does not pump blood as well as it should, resulting in decreased blood flow to organs and fluid buildup in the lungs and other tissues.

From Science Daily

As the naira plunged and pump prices increased several times, the government, aware of the potential danger of protests, continued to pipette some medicine to the masses.

From BBC

Related Words

• drain
• draw
• inject
• pour
• push
• send
• siphon
• supply
• tap

About This Word

What else does pump mean?

Content warning: this article contains references to guns.

Among many other slang senses, pump is short for pump-action shotgun, a type of shotgun that requires the user to change the shell with a pumping-like action.

Where does pump come from?

Pump-action guns, or slide-action guns, date back to the late 19th century. The shortened pump is found on Urban Dictionary by 2003.

Pump has notably been used in rap songs, including Cardi B’s 2017 “Bartier Cardi.” Her lyrics refer to a shotgun she, apparently, keeps in the trunk of her car.

Earlier, pump appeared on rapper The Game’s 2011 “Heavy Artillery”: “Take em back to Boyz in da Hood when I pull the pump out / Something like C-Murder on Worldstar when I dump out.”

First-person shooter (FPS) video games frequently include a pump shotgun weapon, which players often shorten to pump. Games like Destiny, Halo, Call of Duty, and Fortnite, all very popular in the 2000s, have featured pumps.

How is pump used in real life?

Rappers often use pump in their lyrics. Besides Cardi B and The Game, Offset and Fat Joe have each also used pump in their lyrics, usually in an intimidating way.

The only people who probably use pump more than rappers are gun lovers, hunters, and also gamers. Since pump shotguns are common in most FPS games and are generally powerful close range weapons, gamers talk about them a lot.

Looks like our sign-in services might've gotten double-ramp double-wall rushed into submission. Luckily, our engineers are build-gods and are working to get the high ground on these noobs. Please bear with us as we try and get this dub. (like if you miss double-pump)

— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) October 30, 2018

It is now confirmed, pickaxes do more damage than pumps. pic.twitter.com/8Jg2kMEqQc

— FaZe Thiefs (@Thiefs) November 14, 2018

Some interesting trivia: Ever notice pumps being used a lot in movies? That’s because they don’t need to be modified to shoot blanks like other guns do.

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.