tamp
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to force in or down by repeated, rather light, strokes.
He tamped the tobacco in his pipe.
-
(in blasting) to fill (a drilled hole) with earth or the like after the charge has been inserted.
verb
-
to force or pack down firmly by repeated blows
-
to pack sand, earth, etc into (a drill hole) over an explosive
verb
-
(tr) to bounce (a ball)
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Odyssey
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Prairie Lotus
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Sal stews morosely amid bursts of threatening belligerence that Sonny tries to tamp down.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
In the Guthrie case, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos felt compelled to issue a statement on a weekend clearing her family as suspects to tamp down the rampant speculation.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026
Schulenburg sees other ways drivers are shouldering more responsibility to tamp down on insurance costs.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025
Kirk on Thursday sought to tamp down the divisions on the right, which she said had appeared after Charlie's death.
From Barron's • Dec. 20, 2025
The former crested with fearsome rapidity; the latter sometimes took more than a century to tamp down, and it was followed by many aftershocks.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
