lump

1 of 4

noun

1
: a piece or mass of indefinite size and shape
a lump of coal
a lump of clay
2
a
: aggregate, totality
taken in the lump
b
: majority
few candidates ever started with such a lump who did not get the nominationR. L. Strout
3
: protuberance
especially : an abnormal swelling
came to with nothing more than a lump on his head
4
: a person who is heavy and awkward
a lump of a man
also : one who is stupid or dull
5
lumps plural
a
: beatings, bruises
had taken a lot of lumps growing up in the city
b
: defeat, loss
can cheerfully take his lumps on losers, because the payout is big on the winnersMartin Mayer

lump

2 of 4

verb (1)

lumped; lumping; lumps

transitive verb

1
: to group indiscriminately
2
: to make into lumps
also : to make lumps on or in
3
: to move noisily and clumsily

intransitive verb

1
: to become formed into lumps
2
: to move oneself noisily and clumsily

lump

3 of 4

adjective

: not divided into parts : entire
a lump sum

lump

4 of 4

verb (2)

lumped; lumping; lumps

transitive verb

: to put up with
like it or lump it
Phrases
lump in one's throat
: a constriction of the throat caused by emotion

Examples of lump in a Sentence

Noun turning a lump of clay into a beautiful pot He got a lump on his head after bumping into the doorway.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Crawford’s ever-positive attitude was almost as large a part of his scouting report as his abilities with a bat and ball, and he’s taken his lumps in stride. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2024 This three-pound lump of gray matter in our skulls processes our thoughts, memories, feelings, and unconscious physiology. Andrew Mawson, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Confident her lump was benign, the University of Southern California student enrolled in a three-week work stay program on regenerative agriculture in San Francisco. Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 Sifting will help remove any lumps from the flour and aerate the mixture, which will help make your cake light and fluffy. Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2024 The Mojo were the seventh and final team in the Pro Volleyball Federation to play a home game, taking their lumps in front of huge crowds. Tim Meehan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2024 Symptoms include a rounded face, a fatty lump between the shoulders, and pink or purple stretch marks on the skin. Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2024 But the voiceovers also feel like lumps of prose in a film too busy navel-gazing to build narrative shape or momentum. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024 Broadley took the lump payment, which came to $650,000 after taxes, officials said. Mark Price, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2024
Verb
Researchers suspected that Jerdon’s forest lizards were actually several species being inaccurately lumped together, the study said. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 It was lumped in with a number of other cases that the nation’s highest court declined to weigh in on. Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2024 Unexplained lumps or lumps with symptoms like fever and weight loss or that feel progressively painful are a few reasons to be worried about an armpit lump.1 What does a cancerous lymph node in your armpit feel like? Dr. Roshini Raj, Health, 3 Mar. 2024 The prehistoric fish are estimated to have lived more than 325 million years ago—predating the Pangea supercontinent, when all the major continents of today were lumped together into one giant landmass. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 But something like cardiovascular risk has gotten zero focus, and women’s cardiovascular risk is very different from men’s, yet we’re all lumped together. Allison Deangelis, STAT, 29 Feb. 2024 Today, the bolo tie is often lumped into the country-western aesthetic. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2024 It was often lumped in with the black socks and the black shoes and the baggy uniforms, all as a way of suggesting that there was something troubling about the team’s presentation and, therefore, something troubling about their approach to the game. Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2024 Stewart-Becker said there’s no way to analyze lip flip statistics since there’s no dedicated and approved formula designed solely for that treatment—anything that involves Botox is lumped in with overall Botox statistics. Dahvi Shira, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Adjective
The Malaysian government has offered monthly assistance to the unemployed and lump payments to workers in certain sectors. Matt Apuzzo, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2020 The menu includes grilled salmon salad on a corn tostada, red fish with tomato artichoke beurre blanc sauce, enchiladas with lump crab meat, chocolate strawberries and churros. Audrey Eads, Dallas News, 7 Feb. 2020 This means making sure you get paid for all your unused vacation time or PTO, and, if applicable, understanding the options for your company stock and pension (for example, single life, lump sum, or joint with survivor). Nathan Bachrach and Amy Wagner, Cincinnati.com, 4 Feb. 2020 States under the total lump sum block-grant model would be required to keep health service spending at a level of at least 80% of the target. Stephanie Armour, WSJ, 30 Jan. 2020 Under the wages provision in the new contract, a firefighter who has been on the force for five years, earning $57,900, would get a 5 percent lump sum payment of $2,895. Joshua Fechter, ExpressNews.com, 24 Jan. 2020 If that funding is converted to a block grant, a state could get a limited, lump sum of federal money instead. Stephanie Armour, WSJ, 19 Jan. 2020 Members will also receive raises equal to 6% of wages over the life of the contract, and two lump sum payments equal to 4% of annual wages. Chris Isidore, CNN, 11 Dec. 2019 In the deal, workers would receive $9,000 before taxes, plus lump sum payments for skilled-trades workers of $1,000 this year and in 2021. Grace Schneider, The Courier-Journal, 16 Nov. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lump.' 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, Verb (1), and Adjective

Middle English

Verb (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1624, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

circa 1700, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1791, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near lump

Cite this Entry

“Lump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lump. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lump

1 of 3 noun
1
: a small uneven mass
2
: a collection or sum of units or parts : total
taken in the lump
3
: an abnormal swelling or growth

lump

2 of 3 adjective
: not divided into parts : whole
a lump sum

lump

3 of 3 verb
1
: to group together
2
: to move noisily and clumsily
3
: to form into a lump

Medical Definition

lump

noun
1
: a piece or mass of indefinite size and shape
2
: an abnormal mass or swelling
presenting as a neck lump

More from Merriam-Webster on lump

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