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
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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tampsimple
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tampssimple
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have tampedperfect
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has tampedperfect
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am tampingprogressive
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are tampingprogressive
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is tampingprogressive
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have been tampingperfect progressive
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has been tampingperfect progressive
Past
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tampedsimple
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had tampedperfect
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was tampingprogressive
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were tampingprogressive
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had been tampingperfect progressive
Future
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 seed bed down before sowing into it.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 18, 2023
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
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 bed surface gently with the back of a spade.
From Student's Hand-book of Mushrooms of America, Edible and Poisonous by Taylor, Thomas
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.
