rump

[ ruhmp ]

noun

1. the hind part of the body of an animal, as the hindquarters of a quadruped or sacral region of a bird.
2. a cut of beef from this part of the animal, behind the loin and above the round.
3. the buttocks.
4. the last part, especially that which is unimportant or inferior:

   a rump of territory.

5. the remnant of a legislature, council, etc., after a majority of the members have resigned or been expelled.
6. the Rump, English History. Rump Parliament.

adjective

1. constituting a subsidiary or small group or the remnant of a once larger organization:

   Our local Shakespeare Club will hold a rump meeting at the Elizabethan Drama Teachers' convention.

rump

/ rʌmp /

noun

1. the hindquarters of a mammal, not including the legs
2. the rear part of a bird's back, nearest to the tail
3. a person's buttocks
4. Also calledrump steak a cut of beef from behind the loin and above the round
5. an inferior remnant

Derived Forms

• ˈrumpless, adjective

Other Words From

• rumpless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rump¹

1375–1425; late Middle English rumpe < Scandinavian; compare Danish, Norwegian, Swedish rumpe rump, tail; cognate with German Rumpf body, trunk

Word History and Origins

Origin of rump¹

C15: from Scandinavian; compare Danish rumpe , Icelandic rumpr , German Rumpf trunk of the body

Example Sentences

Sloan and his fellow rich reactionaries established a rump anti-New Deal bloc, the American Liberty League, to lobby against FDR’s policies from inside the Democratic Party.

From Los Angeles Times

“We have to absolutely at any cost make sure that donkey’s rump Trump doesn’t get elected and destroy democracy,” Khosla said at a Bloomberg event.

From Los Angeles Times

All the other elephants in his herd run to him at the first sign of trouble; during calmer times, they willingly present him with their rumps in a seeming sign of submission.

From Salon

The Conservatives won a landslide victory to take control of the council in 2021, leaving a rump of Labour councillors.

From BBC

His rump portion would then align with Serbia itself, creating a greater Serbian state, which Putin would happily endorse.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• backside