stump

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
: the basal portion of a bodily part remaining after the rest is removed
b
: a rudimentary or vestigial bodily part
2
: the part of a plant and especially a tree remaining attached to the root after the trunk is cut
3
: a remaining part : stub
4
: one of the pointed rods stuck in the ground to form a cricket wicket
5
: a place or occasion for public speaking (as for a cause or candidate)
also : the circuit followed by a maker of such speeches
used especially in the phrase on the stump

stump

2 of 4

verb (1)

stumped; stumping; stumps

transitive verb

1
: to reduce to a stump : trim
2
b
: to frustrate the progress or efforts of : baffle
3
: to clear (land) of stumps
4
: to travel over (a region) making political speeches or supporting a cause
5
a
: to walk over heavily or clumsily

intransitive verb

1
: to walk heavily or clumsily
2
: to go about making political speeches or supporting a cause
stumper noun

stump

3 of 4

noun (2)

: a short thick roll of leather, felt, or paper usually pointed at both ends and used for shading or blending a drawing in crayon, pencil, charcoal, pastel, or chalk

stump

4 of 4

verb (2)

stumped; stumping; stumps

transitive verb

: to tone or treat (a drawing) with a stump

Examples of stump in a Sentence

Verb (1) the seemingly endless parade finally ended, and the drummers and tuba players stumped wearily to their buses when my grandfather was a kid, he and his friends would stump one another to dive into the local swimming hole
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Beshear's choice to take the stump in support of Democratic candidate Jennifer McCormick in a state that hasn't had a Democratic governor since 2005 was an unorthodox one, especially in the crucial final days of the party's presidential campaign. Killian Baarlaer, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Nov. 2024 Christmas tree permit regulations Each Christmas tree permit allows the cutting of one tree, which must not exceed 10 feet in height or 6 inches in diameter at the stump, Williams said. Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 2 Nov. 2024 Watch the Marvel stars stump for Harris in the video above. Nick Romano, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024 Where are the trellises, the wires, the thick vine stumps? Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stump 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stump.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English stumpe; akin to Old High German stumpf stump and perhaps to Middle English stampen to stamp

Noun (2)

French or Dutch dialect; French estompe, from Dutch dialect stomp, literally, stub, from Middle Dutch; akin to Old High German stumpf stump

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

1581, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1778, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1807, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stump was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near stump

Cite this Entry

“Stump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stump. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

stump

1 of 2 noun
1
: the base of a bodily part (as an arm or leg) remaining after the rest is removed
2
: the part of a plant and especially a tree remaining attached to the root after the top is cut off
3
: a part (as of a pencil) remaining after the rest is worn away or lost : stub
4
: a place or occasion for political public speaking

stump

2 of 2 verb
1
2
a
: to walk or walk over heavily or clumsily
3
: to go about making political speeches
stump the state for a candidate
stumper noun
Etymology

Verb

probably an altered form of earlier stump (noun) "a challenge"

Medical Definition

stump

noun
1
: the basal portion of a bodily part (as a limb) remaining after the rest is removed
2
: a rudimentary or vestigial bodily part

More from Merriam-Webster on stump

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