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
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
There were no stumps, no signs of previous logging. April Ehrlich, ProPublica, 12 Nov. 2024 In 2018, Hurricane Michael survivors in Panama City fashioned stumps, shingles and two-by-fours into Christmas decor. Kathryn Varn, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent progressive Democrat of Puerto Rican heritage, has been stumping for Harris as the campaign tries to secure the Latino vote, especially in the wake of the derogatory comments made about Puerto Rico by a speaker at a Trump rally. Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 Walz, the Democratic nominee for vice president, is coming to Arizona for the second Saturday in a row, and his trip comes days after Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz stumped for the Harris-Walz ticket here on Tuesday. The Arizona Republic, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stump 

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 21 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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