bump

bump1 [ bʌmp ] verb *

1. ) transitive to accidentally hit part of your body against something, making it hurt:

Be careful not to bump your head.

a ) intransitive or transitive to hit against something solid once or many times:

Small boats were bumping against the wooden pier.

2. ) intransitive bump across/along/over etc. to move with rough up and down movements, especially over a surface that is not even:

The airplane bumped across a field before finally coming to a stop.

3. ) transitive usually passive INFORMAL to take a seat away from a passenger on an airplane because the AIRLINE has sold too many tickets

a ) AMERICAN INFORMAL to take someone's job away from them:

He was bumped from the second shift and put on the third.

,bump a`long phrasal verb intransitive

to continue at around the same level, rising and falling only slightly:

Their standard of living bumped along without any significant increase.

,bump `into phrasal verb transitive

1. ) bump into someone to meet someone unexpectedly:

I bumped into your mother at the supermarket.

2. ) bump into something to accidentally hit against something:

As I turned around, I bumped into a filing cabinet.

,bump `off phrasal verb transitive INFORMAL

to murder someone

,bump `up phrasal verb transitive INFORMAL

1. ) to increase something:

We expect interest rates to be bumped up another quarter point.

2. ) usually passive AMERICAN to move someone to a better position or job:

We were bumped up to first class when two seats became available.

,bump `up a,gainst phrasal verb transitive

bump up against something to experience a problem that slows down your progress:

We're now bumping up against the limits of our expansion in the present manufacturing facility.

bump

bump 2 [ bʌmp ] noun count

1. ) a raised part on a surface:

Every time I went over a bump in the road, my bicycle chain came off.

a ) a raised part on your skin where you have been injured:

Her body was covered in bumps and bruises.

2. ) a hit or knock to a part of your body:

She got a nasty bump on the back of her head.

a ) a hit or knock against something solid:

We felt the bump and knew the boat had run aground.

b ) the sound of something hitting against something solid

bump

bump 3 [ bʌmp ] adverb

things that go bump in the night HUMOROUS

frightening and mysterious noises that you hear at night