bumper

[ buhm-per ]

/ ˈbʌm pər /

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See synonyms for: bumper / bumpers on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person or thing that bumps.

a metal guard, usually horizontal, for protecting the front or rear of an automobile, truck, etc.

any protective rim, guard, pad, or disk for absorbing shock and preventing damage from bumping as a rubber-tipped doorstop or an old tire on the side of a boat.

a cup or glass filled to the brim, as with beer.

Informal. something unusually large.

a person who molds bricks by hand.

Foundry. a machine for ramming sand into a mold.

a carangid fish, Chlorosombrus chrysurus, of southern U.S. and Cuban coastal seas.

Television.

Also bump .Also called bumper tease . in a news program, a brief teaser coming at the end of a segment just before commercials, announcing or previewing a forthcoming story.
Also called commercial bumper, break bumper . a brief interval of music, graphics, or voiceover serving as a transition between program and advertising content.

adjective

unusually abundant: Bumper crops reaped a big profit for local farmers.

verb (used with object)

to fill to the brim.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of bumper

First recorded in 1750–60; bump + -er¹

Words nearby bumper

bummalo, bummaree, bummer, bum out, bump, bumper, bumper car, bumper guard, bumper jack, bumper pool, bumper sticker

Other definitions for bumper (2 of 2)

bumper²

[ buhm-per ]

/ ˈbʌm pər /

noun Australian Slang.

the unconsumed end of a cigarette; cigarette butt.

Origin of bumper

First recorded in 1890–95; expressive coinage, perhaps blend of butt¹ and stump + -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bumper in a sentence

Silverman was sure that she hadn’t so much as smudged his bumper.
Sarah Silverman just wants to make things right|Geoff Edgers|February 4, 2021|Washington Post
Some bolt on metal bars that extend from the vehicle’s frame and out under the bumper, forming a hoop that you can use to attach lights.
The Best Way to Add Driving Lights to a Normal Car|Wes Siler|January 26, 2021|Outside Online
Although annual statistics for engagements are virtually nonexistent, there’s evidence to suggest the coronavirus pandemic has produced a bumper crop.
The pandemic helped them realize: I want to marry you|Ashley Fetters|December 17, 2020|Washington Post
We’ve all had the experience of sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic with nothing but miles of red taillights ahead, wishing we could somehow break away from the pack and zoom off to our destination traffic-free.
This Flying Car Costs $599K—and It’s Now Street Legal in Holland|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|October 29, 2020|Singularity Hub

It looked so good like this that I almost regretted the need for bumpers.
Inside My Custom Toyota Land Cruiser Build|Wes Siler|October 15, 2020|Outside Online
To accompany breakfast or lunch, there's hibiscus lavender tea or locally roasted Bumper Crop coffee.
Spaghetti for Breakfast?! Not So Crazy at This Idaho Farm Café|Jane & Michael Stern|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bumper stickers proclaiming “Gitmo Saves Lives” can be purchased at keepamericasafe.com for $5.
The Next Dick|Michelle Cottle|September 2, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Bumper stickers have even been printed that say "No to the murtazeqa," beside a silhouette of a man wearing a yellow hardhat.
Libya's Hysteria Over African Mercenaries|Babak Dehghanpisheh|March 6, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Bumper looked in Jimsy's and Wheedle's eyes, and saw they were pink, but he was still doubtful.
Bumper, The White Rabbit|George Ethelbert Walsh
That was an answer good enough for any rabbit, and Bumper should have been satisfied, but he had a very inquisitive mind.
Bumper, The White Rabbit|George Ethelbert Walsh
Bumper promised not to be spoilt by listening to what little girls said, and then eagerly repeated his question.
Bumper, The White Rabbit|George Ethelbert Walsh
Rabbits don't like to be called by two different names, and if I was you, ma'm, I'd keep on calling him Bumper.
Bumper, The White Rabbit|George Ethelbert Walsh
Which was true, but Bumper went to sleep dreaming of a million questions he would ask his mother in the morning.
Bumper, The White Rabbit|George Ethelbert Walsh

British Dictionary definitions for bumper (1 of 3)

bumper¹

/ (ˈbʌmpə) /

noun

a horizontal metal bar attached to the front or rear end of a car, lorry, etc, to protect against damage from impact

a person or machine that bumps

cricket a ball bowled so that it bounces high on pitching; bouncer

British Dictionary definitions for bumper (2 of 3)

bumper²

/ (ˈbʌmpə) /

noun

a glass, tankard, etc, filled to the brim, esp as a toast

an unusually large or fine example of something

adjective

unusually large, fine, or abundanta bumper crop

verb

(tr) to toast with a bumper

(tr) to fill to the brim

(intr) to drink bumpers

Word Origin for bumper

C17 (in the sense: a brimming glass): probably from bump (obsolete vb) to bulge; see bump

British Dictionary definitions for bumper (3 of 3)

bumper³

/ (ˈbʌmpə) /

noun

Australian old-fashioned, informal a cigarette end

Word Origin for bumper

C19: perhaps from a blend of butt 1 and stump

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bumper

Origin of bumper

Words nearby bumper

Other definitions for bumper (2 of 2)

Origin of bumper

Words related to bumper

How to use bumper in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bumper (1 of 3)

British Dictionary definitions for bumper (2 of 3)

Word Origin for bumper

British Dictionary definitions for bumper (3 of 3)

Word Origin for bumper