pump

B1 Topic:Tools, Machines & Construction

US /pʌmp/ See IPA manual

Freq #4134

Meanings

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

verb
To move liquid or gas using a pump.

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

verb
To ask someone many questions to get information from them.

The police officer pumped the witnesses for information.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms pumpedpumpingpumps

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

centrifugal pump
a pump that moves fluid outward using a rotating mechanism

Adjective + noun

Etymology

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).

pampoesje Dutch pampus jv پاپوش Persian بَابُوش Arabic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Tools, Machines & Construction

External links

# pump

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /pʌmp/
**Frequency rank:** 4134

## Meanings
1. A machine that moves liquid or gas from one place to another.
2. To move liquid or gas using a pump.
3. A machine that gives out fuel, such as one at a gas station.
4. To ask someone many questions to get information from them.

## Examples
- This pump can deliver 100 gallons of water per minute.
- I pumped the gas while my friends paid for the snacks.
- This pump is out of order, but you can fill up at the next one.
- The police officer pumped the witnesses for information.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: pampoesje
- Root: pampus
- Root: پاپوش
- Root: بَابُوش

## Etymology
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).

## AI Etymology
Pump: 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). In present-day English it covers a machine that moves liquid or gas from one place to another, to move liquid or gas using a pump, and a machine that gives out fuel, such as one at a gas station.

## Topics
- Tools, Machines & Construction

markdown