pump

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A machine that moves liquid or gas from one place to another.

   This pump can deliver 100 gallons of water per minute.

2. 2
   verb

   To move liquid or gas using a pump.

   I pumped the gas while my friends paid for the snacks.

3. 3
   noun

   A machine that gives out fuel, such as one at a gas station.

   This pump is out of order, but you can fill up at the next one.

4. 4
   verb

   To ask someone many questions to get information from them.

   The police officer pumped the witnesses for information.

The etymology of the term is unclear and disputed. One possibility is that it comes from pomp (“ornamentation”). Another is that it refers to the sound made by the foot moving inside the shoe when dancing. The Oxford English Dictionary claims that it appeared in the 16th century, and lists its origin as "obscure". It has also been linked to the Dutch pampoesje, possibly borrowed from Javanese pampus, ultimately from Persian پاپوش (pâpuš), borrowed from Arabic بَابُوش (bābūš).

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