tamp
Americanverb (used with object)
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to force in or down by repeated, rather light, strokes.
He tamped the tobacco in his pipe.
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(in blasting) to fill (a drilled hole) with earth or the like after the charge has been inserted.
verb
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to force or pack down firmly by repeated blows
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to pack sand, earth, etc into (a drill hole) over an explosive
verb
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(tr) to bounce (a ball)
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to pour with rain
Etymology
Origin of tamp
First recorded in 1810–20; perhaps alteration of tampion
Explanation
To tamp is to push or pack down a loose or granular material. If you work as a barista, you'll learn to tamp espresso grounds before running hot water through them. Before a road is paved or a patio is laid out, workers will tamp gravel to provide a sturdy, level base. Old-fashioned, muzzle-loading guns had to be filled with gunpowder, which the user would need to tamp firmly before firing. The tool used to do the tamping is sometimes also called a tamp.
Vocabulary lists containing tamp
The Birchbark House
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The Odyssey
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Prairie Lotus
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Tamp the bricks to settle the powder, then add more as needed.
From Washington Post • Apr. 4, 2022
NFL roundtable: Yes, Matthew Stafford got his first playoff win and the Rams advanced to the NFC divisional-playoff round to play at Tamp Bay, but beating slumping Arizona proved little.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2022
Tamp Bay allowed three field goals in a 9-0 loss to New Orleans and two more field goals against Carolina.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 27, 2021
In 2002, the then-Oakland Raiders parlayed a 3-0 start into a trip to the Super Bowl before losing to a Tamp Bay team coached by Jon Gruden, who is now coaching Las Vegas.
From Fox News • Sep. 26, 2021
Tamp the dirt around both plant and can, and fill the latter with water.
From The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1 700 Things for Boys to Do by Popular Mechanics Co.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
