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.
See Examples For:
The word “hawk” in Fed lingo is associated with senior officials committed to raising rates to tamp down inflation, even if it means some damage to the economy, such as rising unemployment.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
That assessment dovetailed with a Goldman Sachs note from strategist Alvin So, who cautioned the South Korean banks are starting to curb consumer loans and access to leveraged trading accounts to tamp down elevated risks.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
The Canadian province of Ontario passed the Putting Fans First Act to tamp down on resale prices.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
After repeated entreaties to tamp down her spending, Girardi tried for the first time to look at her balance.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
Akira tried to tamp down the panic rising inside her.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
As the lack of workforce tamps down business growth, fewer U.S.-born workers are hired as a result.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 18, 2026
“Seeing all the results tamps down their unrealistic expectations,” he said, as they conclude for themselves that they need to rethink their retirement timetable.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2025
Before he steps in the box for each at-bat, Kelenic takes the end of his Victus bat and tamps a small indentation out in front of the center of the plate.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 23, 2023
As the job market weakens, paycheck growth slows, which further tamps down buying.
From New York Times ● Jun. 21, 2022
When he has made the ashes smooth by pressing them with his hands, he makes the crucible slope down toward the middle; then he tamps it, as I have described, with a rammer.
From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Agricola, Georgius
Redfin’s weekly data suggest that last week’s surge in rates tamped down on demand.
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
Bettany, too, is more tamped down, more monkish as Salieri than his Oscar-winning screen predecessor, F. Murray Abraham.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026
With all these factors taken into consideration, Reback believes Azure revenue acceleration is “unlikely” in the near term and likely will be tamped down by supply constraints and competitive pressure.
From Barron's ● Feb. 5, 2026
By the end of the day, they had tamped down concerns about immediate violence and created a plan of action.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2025
She filled the bowl with kinnikinnick, tamped her pipe carefully, and lit it with a glowing stick.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
Travel + Leisure’s executives spent much of their investor call last week tamping down concerns about consumer wariness and creditworthiness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
That can work its way into the housing market by shrinking buyers’ budgets and tamping down on home-price growth.
From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026
Interventionists are still doing what they’ve always done: preventing retaliatory violence by tamping down rumors and connecting gang members with social services — all while grappling with the traumas of their past lives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2024
The brain can direct the immune system to an unexpected degree, capable of detecting, ramping up and tamping down inflammation, shows a new study in mice from researchers at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute.
From Science Daily ● May 1, 2024
After all, the tamping iron carried away pieces of Phineas's brain.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
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.
