QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Idioms about pump
- to increase government expenditure in an effort to stimulate the economy.
- to support or promote the operation or improvement of something.
prime the pump,
pump iron. iron (def. 29).
Origin of pump
1First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English noun pumpe, pompe; cognate with German Pumpe, Dutch pomp
OTHER WORDS FROM pump
Other definitions for pump (2 of 2)
pump2
[ puhmp ]
/ pʌmp /
noun
a lightweight, low-cut shoe without fastenings for women.
a slip-on black patent leather shoe for men, for wear with formal dress.
Origin of pump
2First recorded in 1720–30; origin uncertain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use pump in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for pump (1 of 2)
pump1
/ (pʌmp) /
noun
any device for compressing, driving, raising, or reducing the pressure of a fluid, esp by means of a piston or set of rotating impellers
biology a mechanism for the active transport of ions, such as protons, calcium ions, and sodium ions, across cell membranesa sodium pump
verb
Word Origin for pump
C15: from Middle Dutch pumpe pipe, probably from Spanish bomba, of imitative origin
British Dictionary definitions for pump (2 of 2)
pump2
/ (pʌmp) /
noun
a low-cut low-heeled shoe without fastenings, worn esp for dancing
a type of shoe with a rubber sole, used in games such as tennis; plimsoll
Word Origin for pump
C16: of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for pump
pump
[ pŭmp ]
A device used to raise or transfer fluids. Most pumps function either by compression or suction.
A molecular mechanism for the active transport of ions or molecules across a cell membrane.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.