A lump of orange clay.
- The definition of a lump is a mass of stuff with no definite shape, a swelling underneath the skin or to a person who is dull-witted.
- A pile of clay that is piled or stuck together with no definitive form is an example of a lump of clay.
- When a tumor under the skin causes an area of your skin to swell, this is an example of a lump.
- An unintelligent person is an example of a lump.
- To lump is defined as to group things together, even if they don't necessarily all belong together.
When you meet one person and decide his whole family is just like him, this is an example of a situation where you lump the family together.
- a solid mass of no special shape, esp. one small enough to be taken up in the hand; hunk
- a small cube or oblong piece
- such a cube or piece made of sugar crystals bound together with sugar syrup
- a swelling or protuberance, as one caused by a blow or formed by a tumor or cyst
- Obs. aggregate or collection
- a great mass, amount, number, etc.
- a dull, clodlike person
- ⌂ Informal hard blows, punishment, criticism, or the like: usually in get (or take) one's lumps or give someone his (or her) lumps
Origin of lumpMiddle English lompe, lumpe, akin uncertain or unknown; perhaps to Danish lompe, a mass, lump, Swedish dialect, dialectal lump, a block, stump, Middle High German lumpe, rag: see limp
- to put together in a lump or lumps
- to treat or deal with in a mass, or include in one group
- to make lumps in
- to become lumpy
- to move heavily and laboriously: usually with along
in the lump
lump in one's throat
Origin of lumpEarly ModE, to look sour ; from uncertain or unknown; perhaps lump, but influenced, influence by grump, mump
- An irregularly shaped mass or piece.
- A small cube of sugar.
- Medicine A swelling or small palpable mass.
- A collection or totality; an aggregate.
- A person regarded as ungainly or dull-witted.
- lumps Informal a. Severe punishment or treatment, as a beating or an unsparing criticism: take one's lumps.b. One's just deserts; comeuppance: get one's lumps.
- Formed into lumps: lump sugar.
- Not broken or divided into parts: a lump payment.
verblumped, lump·ing, lumps
- To put together in a single group without discrimination.
- To move with heavy clumsiness.
- To make into lumps.
- To become lumpy.
- To move heavily.
Origin of lumpMiddle English lumpe, of Low German origin; akin to obsolete Dutch lompe.
transitive verblumped, lump·ing, lumps Informal
Origin of lumpPerhaps from dialectal lump, to look sullen.
- Something that protrudes, sticks out, or sticks together; a cluster or blob; a mound, hill, or group.
- Stir the gravy until there are no more lumps.
- a lump of coal; a lump of clay; a lump of cheese
- A group, set, or unit.
- The money arrived all at once as one big lump sum payment.
- A small, shaped mass of sugar, typically about a teaspoonful.
- Do you want one lump or two with your coffee?
- A dull or lazy person.
- Don't just sit there like a lump.
- (informal, as plural) A beating or verbal abuse.
- He's taken his lumps over the years.
- A projection beneath the breech end of a gun barrel.
(third-person singular simple present lumps, present participle lumping, simple past and past participle lumped)
- To treat as a single unit; to group together.
- People tend to lump turtles and tortoises together, when in fact they are different creatures.