Definition of "bump"

bump¹

/bʌmp/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural bumps
1. A light blow or jolting collision.
2. The sound of such a collision.
3. A protuberance on a level surface.
4. A swelling on the skin caused by illness or injury.
  Quotations
  It had upon its brow / A bump as big as a young cockerel's stone.
  c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene iii]
5. (obsolete) One of the protuberances on the cranium which, in phrenology, are associated with distinct faculties or affections of the mind. Also (dated, metonymically) the faculty itself
  Quotations
  Our task is to elevate the character of the people, raising up, in fact, their bump of self-esteem and suppressing the bumps of servility and fury.
  c.1845 Thomas MacNevin, cited in Charles Gavan Duffy (1896) Young Ireland: A Fragment of Irish History, 1840-45; final revision (London: T.F. Unwin) Vol.II p.100
  Another, with the bump of order unnaturally developed, had his folios and quartos all reduced, in binding, to one size, so that they might look even on his bookshelves.
  1902, William Blades, The Enemies of Books, 2nd edition, page 102
6. (rowing) The point, in a race in which boats are spaced apart at the start, at which a boat begins to overtake the boat ahead.
7. The swollen abdomen of a pregnant woman.
8. (Internet) A post in an Internet forum thread made in order to raise the thread's profile by returning it to the top of the list of active threads.
9. A temporary increase in a quantity, as shown in a graph.
10. (slang) A dose of a drug such as ketamine or cocaine, when snorted recreationally.
  Quotations
  “They're getting their drugs mixed up,” she said. “If someone did a line of coke, it would be a very different size than if someone did a bump of ketamine, right? So if they're thinking it's cocaine and they do a line, they could go into a k-hole and be completely unable to move for hours. Maybe not hours, but for a while.”
  2019 August 9, Joshua Azizi, “Shambhala Music Festival makes harm reduction a priority”, in The Georgia Straight‎
11. (preceded by definite article) A disco dance in which partners rhythmically bump each other's hips together.
12. In skipping, a single jump over two consecutive turns of the rope.
13. (uncountable) A coarse cotton fabric.
14. A training match for a fighting dog.
15. (snooker, slang) The jaw of either of the middle pockets.
16. (US, slang, uncountable) Music, especially played over speakers at loud volume with strong bass frequency response.
  Quotations
  Call me the juice and you know I'm a stunt; ride in the car with some bump in the trunk.
  2005, “Stay Fly”, in Jordan Houston, Darnell Carlton, Paul Beauregard, Premro Smith, Marlon Goodwin, David Brown, Willie Hutchinson (lyrics), Most Known Unknown‎, performed by Three 6 Mafia (featuring Young Buck, 8 Ball, and MJG), Sony BMG
17. (industrial relations) A reassignment of jobs within an organization (for example, when an existing employee leaves) on the basis of seniority.
  Quotations
  For example, chain bumping, in which a bump by one employee initiates a series of consecutive bumps down a progression line before a layoff results, produces the greatest average number of reassignments per redundant employee.
  1985, Peter B. Doeringer, Michael J. Piore, Internal Labor Markets and Manpower Analysis, page 55
18. (card games) In the game of khanhoo, the act of claiming a newly discarded card when it is not one's turn, permitted when one can use the card to form a meld other than a sequence.
verb
third-person singular simple present bumps, present participle bumping, simple past and past participle bumped
1. To knock against or run into with a jolt.
2. To move up or down by a step; displace.
3. (Internet) To post in an Internet forum thread in order to raise the thread's profile by returning it to the top of the list of active threads.
  Quotations
  As in [the online forum] carersvoicesnz, certain contributors were more visible, taking the initiative to "bump" the thread to bring it back into view if it went quiet.
  2015, Barbara Horrell, Christine Stephens, Mary Breheny, “Online Research with Informal Caregivers: Opportunities and Challenges”, in Qualitative Research in Psychology, volume 12, number 3, page 264
4. (chemistry, of a superheated liquid) To suddenly boil, causing movement of the vessel and loss of liquid.
  Quotations
  Heat until the liquid bumps, then reduce the heat and continue the boiling for 1½ hours.
  1916, Albert Prescott Mathews, Physiological chemistry
5. (transitive) To move (a booked passenger) to a later flight because of earlier delays or cancellations.
  Quotations
  Easyjet said the compensation package for passengers bumped off flights was 'probably the most flawed piece of European legislation in recent years' […]
  2005, Lois Jones, EasyJet: the story of Britain's biggest low-cost airline, page 192
6. (transitive) To move the time of (a scheduled event).
  Quotations
  A colleague emails with news that her 4:30 meeting got bumped to 3:30.
  2010, Nancy Conner, Matthew MacDonald, Office 2010: The Missing Manual, page 332
7. (transitive) To pick (a lock) with a repeated striking motion that dislodges the pins.
8. (intransitive, archaic) To make a loud, heavy, or hollow noise; to boom.
  Quotations
  as a bittern bumps within a reed
  1700, [John] Dryden, “The Wife of Bathe’s Tale. As it was Written by Geffrey Chaucer”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […]
9. (printing, dated) To spread out material so as to fill any desired number of pages.
10. (slang, transitive) To assassinate; to bump off.
  Quotations
  You know about the night the kid bumped Brody?
  1944, William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthman, The Big Sleep (screenplay)
11. (industrial relations, transitive) To displace (another employee in an organization) on the basis of seniority.
  Quotations
  Employees with 2 years or more, and less than 8 years plant seniority, may bump a probationary employee.
  1969, Major Collective Bargaining Agreements, volume 9
12. (colloquial, dated) To anger, irritate.
  Quotations
  After his ancestors had been browbeaten by the Puritans, and his ancestors had been driven out by the early pioneers [...], if he learned that a magnificent bronze statue is to be erected to his ancestors; wouldn't it bump an Indian?
  1911 September 25, “Wouldn't It Make You Mad”, in San Francisco Examiner
13. (card games) In the game of khanhoo, to claim a newly discarded card when it is not one's turn, permitted when one can use the card to form a meld other than a sequence.
interjection
1. (Internet) Posted in an Internet forum thread in order to raise the thread's profile by returning it to the top of the list of active threads.

bump²

/bʌmp/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural bumps
1. The breeding call made by the bittern; a boom.
verb
third-person singular simple present bumps, present participle bumping, simple past and past participle bumped
1. Of a bittern, to make its characteristic breeding call.

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