n.
- a light blow or a jolting collision.
▸Rowing (in races where boats make a spaced start one behind another) the point at which a boat begins to overtake or touch the boat ahead, thereby defeating it.
- a protuberance on a level surface.
▸dated a lump on a person's skull, formerly thought to indicate a particular mental faculty.
- Aeronautics a rising air current causing an irregularity in an aircraft's motion.
v.
- knock or run into with a jolt.
▸
(bump into)
meet by chance.
▸Rowing gain a bump against.
- move or travel with much jolting.
-
(bump someone off)
informal murder someone.
-
(bump something up)
informal make something larger or appear to be larger.
- refuse (a passenger) a reserved place on a flight because of deliberate overbooking by the airline.
▸N. Amer. displace from a job or position.
Etymology
C16 (as v.): imitative, perh. of Scand. origin.