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pump

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The definition of a pump is a device that forces gas or liquid into something, or pulls gas or liquid out of something.

(noun)

An example of a pump is what you would use to fill an air mattress.
An example ofa pump is the machine used to milk a cow.

See pump in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

any of various machines that force a liquid or gas into or through, or draw it out of, something, as by suction or pressure
Informal the heart

Origin: ME pumpe < MDu pompe < Sp bomba, prob. of echoic orig.

transitive verb

to raise or move (fluids) with a pump
to remove water, etc. from, as with a pump
to drive air into with a pump or bellows
to force in, draw out, drive, move up and down, pour forth, etc. by means of a pump or as a pump does
to apply force to with a pumping, up-and-down motion
Informal
1. to question closely and persistently
2. to get (information) from a person in this way
Physics to transfer or inject energy into (particles, the electrons of a laser, etc.)

intransitive verb

to work a pump
to raise or move water, etc. with a pump
to move up and down or go by moving up and down like a pump handle or piston
to flow in, out, or through by, or as if by, being pumped
Basketball, Football to fake a shot or a throw

noun

a low-cut shoe without straps or ties; esp., such a woman's shoe with a moderate to high heel

Origin: < ? prob. < Fr colloq. pompe, boot, shoe, lit. pump: jocular for a shoe which pumps in the water

See pump in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A machine or device for raising, compressing, or transferring fluids.
Physiology A molecular mechanism for the active transport of ions or molecules across a cell membrane.
Physics Electromagnetic radiation used to raise atoms or molecules to a higher energy level.
Informal The heart.

verb pumped, pump·ing, pumps

verb, transitive

To raise or cause to flow by means of a pump.
To draw, deliver, or pour forth as if with a pump.
To remove the water from: pump out a flooded basement.
To cause to move with the up-and-down motion of a pump handle: a bicyclist pumping the pedals.
To propel, eject, or insert with or as if with a pump: pumped new life into the economy.
Physics To raise (atoms or molecules) to a higher energy level by exposing them to electromagnetic radiation at a resonant frequency.
Physiology To transport (ions or molecules) against a concentration gradient by the expenditure of chemically stored energy.
To question closely or persistently: pump a witness for secret information.

verb, intransitive

To operate a pump.
To raise or move gas or liquid with a pump.
To move up and down in the manner of a pump handle.
Sports To fake a throw, pass, or shot by moving the arm or arms without releasing the ball.

Phrasal Verb: pump up To inflate with gas by means of a pump: pump up a tire. Slang To fill with enthusiasm, strength, and energy: The lively debate really pumped us up. Sports To be actively involved in a bodybuilding program: athletes pumping up at the gym.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English pumpe

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