hump

1 of 2

noun

1
: a rounded protuberance: such as
b
: a fleshy protuberance on the back of an animal (such as a camel, bison, or whale)
c(1)
(2)
: mountain, range
the Himalayan hump
2
British : a fit of depression or sulking
3
: a difficult, trying, or critical phase or obstacle
often used in the phrase over the hump
humped adjective

hump

2 of 2

verb

humped; humping; humps

transitive verb

1
usually vulgar : to copulate with
2
: to exert (oneself) vigorously
3
: to make humpbacked : hunch
4
chiefly British : to put or carry on the back : lug
also : transport

intransitive verb

1
: to exert oneself : hustle
2
: to move swiftly : race

Examples of hump in a Sentence

Noun failing her A-levels has certainly given her the hump a cloud-capped hump straddles the border separating the two countries Verb the farmers had to really hump to get the harvest in before the rains the boat was really humping before the motor started to sputter all of a sudden
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
What stands out the most in the new research is an anatomical feature suggested by the woolly rhino’s bone structure but never seen before: a fatty hump on the back of the juvenile Abyisky woolly rhino. Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 17 Sep. 2024 Speed humps aren't scary if it's equipped with the £2,200 ($2,855) lift kit, which raises and lowers the front end in just four seconds—a six-second improvement over the 720S. Matthew MacConnell, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 Bulls can weigh over 2,000 pounds and stand at around six feet tall, as measured by the characteristic hump over their front shoulders. Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 On its back, scientists observed a hump of up to 13 centimeters (five inches) that was filled with a fatty mass. Issy Ronald, CNN, 25 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hump 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

akin to Middle Low German hump bump, Dutch homp lump, chunk, Frisian homp, himp

First Known Use

Noun

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1785, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hump was in 1681

Dictionary Entries Near hump

Cite this Entry

“Hump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hump. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hump

1 of 2 noun
1
: a rounded bulge or lump (as on the back of a camel)
2
: a difficult part (as of a task)
humped
ˈhəm(p)t
adjective

hump

2 of 2 verb
1
: to move or work energetically : hustle
2
: to make hump-shaped : hunch

Medical Definition

hump

noun
: a rounded protuberance
especially : humpback

More from Merriam-Webster on hump

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