tramp

1 of 3

verb

ˈtramp How to pronounce tramp (audio)
 intransitive sense 1 & transitive sense 1 are also  ˈträmp,
ˈtrȯmp
tramped; tramping; tramps

intransitive verb

1
: to walk, tread, or step especially heavily
tramped loudly on the stairs
2
a
: to travel about on foot : hike
b
: to journey as a tramp

transitive verb

1
: to tread on forcibly and repeatedly
2
: to travel or wander through or over on foot
have tramped all the woods on their property
tramper noun

tramp

2 of 3

noun

ˈtramp How to pronounce tramp (audio)
 senses 3 & 4 are also  ˈträmp,
ˈtrȯmp
1
b
: a foot traveler
c
: a woman of loose morals
specifically : prostitute
2
: a walking trip : hike
3
: the succession of sounds made by the beating of feet on a surface (such as a road, pavement, or floor)
4
: an iron plate to protect the sole of a shoe
5
: a ship not making regular trips but taking cargo when and where it offers and to any port

called also tramp steamer

trampy adjective

tramp

3 of 3

adjective

: having no fixed abode, connection, or destination
a tramp dog

Examples of tramp in a Sentence

Verb We spent the day tramping through the woods. He tramped the streets looking for his dog. Noun a tramp through the woods the police encouraged the tramps who were sleeping in the park to spend the bitterly cold night in the homeless shelter
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Some scientists believe that, before their extinction, grazing animals such as mammoths, horses and bison kept the earth frozen underneath by tramping down the grass, knocking down trees and compacting snow. Katie Hunt, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 Their feet tramped past the November leaves on the grass of the surrounding yards. Jasmine Hilton, Washington Post, 26 Nov. 2023 Emma Corrin plays a Gen-Z Sherlock Holmes type, Clive Owen is a reclusive billionaire, and an icy, remote setting means everyone has to tramp around in the snow looking for clues while their eyes dart at one another with suspicion. James Grebey, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2023 Twenty years later, in 1614, John Smith tacked up and down the New England coast, tramping the dunes, for gold. Paul Theroux, Harper's Magazine, 11 Aug. 2022 On their way into the history books, the famous feet of Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and other icons first tramped from the Red River down the historic road of Trammel’s Trace. Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Nov. 2023 To check up on the oldest plant ever documented in California, Aaron Echols, 35, conservation chair of the California Native Plant Society’s Riverside/San Bernardino chapter, recently tramped up a steep no-nonsense trail, scaled boulders and barged through sticker weeds. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2023 Hana, a happy, wilful child often tramps home through the forest alone, until her father catches up with her, which is here revealed in an unshowily gorgeous shot of Takumi disappearing from view behind a hillock and emerging on the other side with Hana riding piggyback. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 4 Sep. 2023 Katie Holmes has spent the past couple of weeks tramping through Manhattan in an accretion of unusual shoes. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 15 Aug. 2023
Noun
Max, a film and theatre reviewer, tramps up and down Broadway excreting opinion, as contractually obliged, and hating himself for it. Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023 A little tramp in a battered bowler hat picks it up and starts waving it, trying to catch the driver’s attention. Jeremy McCarter, WSJ, 3 Nov. 2023 In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Chappell Roan opens up about her debut album 'The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess' and friendship with Rodrigo The inspiration behind the title of Chappell Roan's debut album came from her own tramp stamp. Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2023 It should be noted that much of the discussion about the park, between the City Council and citizens, involved whether a fence needed to be built around the park to discourage the hobos and tramps, who traveled along the railroad, from taking up residence in the park. Kevin Dayhoff, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2023 Releasing the ball on the bounce in a forward motion to recollect the ball between the first and second bounce to legally allow the player to transfer tramp to tramp. Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 18 July 2023 In the Cotswolds, where dogs have always been part of the cultural landscape, the Lygon Arms supplies guests with Wellingtons for tramps through the countryside. Hannah Selinger, Travel + Leisure, 29 May 2023 And the fadeout is where the girl recognizes the tramp as her benefactor and takes it kindly. Thr Staff, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Jan. 2023 The flower girl becomes ill and the tramp takes it upon himself to provide for her. Thr Staff, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Jan. 2023
Adjective
Probably not another tramp stamp but who knows. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 22 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tramp.' 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

Verb

Middle English; akin to Middle Low German trampen to stamp

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1873, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near tramp

Cite this Entry

“Tramp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tramp. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tramp

1 of 2 verb
ˈtramp How to pronounce tramp (audio)
 senses 1 & 2 are also  ˈträmp,
ˈtrȯmp
1
: to walk heavily
2
: to tread on forcibly and repeatedly
3
: to travel or wander through on foot
tramp the streets
tramper noun

tramp

2 of 2 noun
ˈtramp How to pronounce tramp (audio)
 sense 3 is also  ˈträmp,
ˈtrȯmp
1
: a homeless wanderer who may beg or steal for a living
2
: a walking trip : hike
3
: the sound made by many marching feet
4
: a ship not making regular trips but taking cargo to any port

called also tramp steamer

More from Merriam-Webster on tramp

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!