bumbershoot

noun

bum·ber·shoot | \ˈbəm-bər-ˌshüt

\

Definition of bumbershoot

Did You Know?

Umbrellas have plenty of nicknames. In Britain, "brolly" is a popular alternative to the more staid "umbrella." Sarah Gamp, a fictional nurse who toted a particularly large umbrella in Charles Dickens’s novel Martin Chuzzlewit, has inspired some English speakers to dub oversize versions "gamps." "Bumbershoot" is a predominantly American nickname, one that has been recorded as a whimsical, slightly irreverent handle for umbrellas since the late 1890s. As with most slang terms, the origins of "bumbershoot" are a bit foggy, but it appears that the "bumber" is a modification of the "umbr-" in "umbrella" and the "shoot" is an alteration of the "-chute" in "parachute" (since an open parachute looks a little like an umbrella).

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about bumbershoot

Listen to Our Podcast about bumbershoot

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Dictionary Entries near bumbershoot

bumblebee buzzer

Statistics for bumbershoot

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for bumbershoot

The first known use of bumbershoot was circa 1896

See more words from the same year

Comments on bumbershoot

What made you want to look up bumbershoot? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

tomfoolery

playful or foolish behavior

Test Your Vocabulary

Autumn Words of the Day 2018

Which is a synonym of fugacious?

Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games