pump

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: a device that raises, transfers, delivers, or compresses fluids or that attenuates gases especially by suction or pressure or both
2
: heart
3
: an act or the process of pumping
4
: an energy source (such as light) for pumping atoms or molecules
5
: a biological mechanism by which atoms, ions, or molecules are transported across cell membranes compare sodium pump

pump

2 of 3

verb

pumped; pumping; pumps

intransitive verb

1
: to work a pump : raise or move a fluid with a pump
2
: to exert oneself to pump or as if to pump something
3
: to move in a manner that resembles the action of a pump handle

transitive verb

1
a
: to raise (something, such as water) with a pump
b
: to draw fluid from with a pump
2
: to pour forth, deliver, or draw with or as if with a pump
pumped money into the economy
pump new life into the classroom
3
a
: to question persistently
pumped him for the information
b
: to elicit by persistent questioning
4
a
: to operate by manipulating a lever
b
: to manipulate as if operating a pump handle
pumped my hand warmly
c
: to cause to move with an action resembling that of a pump handle
a runner pumping her arms
5
: to transport (something, such as ions) against a concentration gradient by the expenditure of energy
6
a
: to excite (atoms or molecules) especially so as to cause emission of coherent monochromatic electromagnetic radiation (as in a laser)
b
: to energize (something, such as a laser) by pumping

pump

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a shoe that grips the foot chiefly at the toe and heel
especially : a close-fitting woman's dress shoe with a moderate to high heel
Phrases
pump iron
: to lift weights

Examples of pump in a Sentence

Verb He pumped the water up from the bottom of the boat. The machine suddenly stopped pumping. We pumped the boat dry. We had to pump the basement out. Your heart pumps blood all over your body. I could feel the blood pumping through my veins. Blood pumped out of the cut.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
With just three laps left, the hydraulic pump failed on Hill’s car; he was stuck in third gear and Jacques Villeneuve, of Williams, passed him in the final lap and won the race with Hill finishing second. Brad Spurgeon, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024 Yeoh, 61, who was announced as an ambassador for the fashion house last November, styled the shimmering, silver dress with black opera gloves and a pair of matching pumps. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Apart from her white pumps, Zendaya wore the couture Jean Paul Gaultier look nearly exactly the same way it was originally presented on the runway for spring-summer 2020, down to Z’s striking silver neck piece and arm cuffs. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 8 Mar. 2024 Instead of fuel tanks, fuel pumps, fuel lines, complex engines, exhausts, radiators and lubrication systems with many, many moving parts, electrons flow along wires from a battery to an electric motor that turns the propellors, with a single moving part in the motor. Michael Barnard, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 Her look was complemented by a classic diamond chain necklace and a sleek pair of black patent leather pumps. Alex Kessler, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2024 Those figures are based on heat pumps that draw heat from an air source (rather than ground or water) and includes both homes that pull heat through ductwork, and homes that are ductless. IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2024 Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealership where the pump will be replaced at no charge. Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024 Gateway Green features a BMX stunt track, pump tracks, challenging downhill competition-style dirt courses, broad gravel roads and multiple singletrack trails. William Roberson, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
Prolonged droughts adversely affect costs if suppliers need to buy a more expensive water supply, pump water from deeper underground or add treatment processes to clean degraded supplies, researchers with the Pacific Institute and the organization Dig Deep said in a recent report. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 The barge then heads north and anchors offshore from the delivery site to pump the material ashore. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 High inflation has made materials and labor costs far pricier, and ballooning mortgage rates have pumped the brakes on an already-slow sector. Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024 The leases also allowed the company to pump groundwater unchecked from the possible future water source. Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 First introduced in late 1989, the pump technology from Reebok allowed the wearer to pump air into the shoe’s sole via a mechanism housed in the tongue. Tim Newcomb, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 As a nursing mother, Geraghty depended on her stash of breast milk, as well as being able to pump, during the four-hour flight to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, where she would be reunited with her newborn son. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 The music drifts over here, but no speakers are pumping it in. Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 28 Feb. 2024 Gusty south and southwest winds have pumped humid air into the area as temperatures have risen through the 60s ahead of a cold front. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pump.' 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 pumpe, pompe; akin to Middle Low German pumpe pump, Middle Dutch pompe

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1508, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pump was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near pump

Cite this Entry

“Pump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pump. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pump

1 of 3 noun
: a device that raises, transfers, delivers, or compresses fluids especially by suction or pressure or both

pump

2 of 3 verb
1
: to raise, transfer, or compress by means of a pump
pump up water
2
: to free (as from water or air) by the use of a pump
pump a boat dry
3
: to fill by using a pump
pump up a tire
4
: to draw, force, or drive onward in the manner of a pump
the heart pumps blood into the arteries
5
: to move up and down like a pump handle
pump the hand of a friend
6
a
: to question again and again to find out something
b
: to draw out by such questioning
pumper noun

pump

3 of 3 noun
: a low shoe gripping the foot chiefly at the toe and heel

Medical Definition

pump

1 of 2 noun
1
: a device that raises, transfers, or compresses fluids or that attenuates gases especially by suction or pressure or both
2
: heart
3
: an act or the process of pumping
4
: an energy source (as light) for pumping atoms or molecules
5
: a mechanism by which atoms, ions, or molecules are transported across cell membranes see proton pump, sodium pump

pump

2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to work a pump : raise or move a fluid with a pump

transitive verb

1
: to raise (as water) with a pump
2
: to draw fluid from with a pump
3
: to transport (as ions) against a concentration gradient by the expenditure of energy
4
a
: to excite (as atoms or molecules) especially so as to cause emission of coherent monochromatic electromagnetic radiation (as in a laser)
b
: to energize (as a laser) by pumping

More from Merriam-Webster on pump

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