stump
1 of 4noun (1)
ˈstəmp 
1
a
: the basal portion of a bodily part remaining after the rest is removed
b
: a rudimentary or vestigial bodily part
2
: the part of a plant and especially a tree remaining attached to the root after the trunk is cut
3
: a remaining part : stub
4
: one of the pointed rods stuck in the ground to form a cricket wicket
5
: a place or occasion for public speaking (as for a cause or candidate)
also : the circuit followed by a maker of such speeches —used especially in the phrase on the stump
stump
2 of 4verb (1)
stumped; stumping; stumps
transitive verb
1
: to reduce to a stump : trim
2
a
: dare, challenge
b
: to frustrate the progress or efforts of : baffle
3
: to clear (land) of stumps
4
: to travel over (a region) making political speeches or supporting a cause
5
a
: to walk over heavily or clumsily
b
: stub sense 3
intransitive verb
1
: to walk heavily or clumsily
2
: to go about making political speeches or supporting a cause
stumper noun
stump
3 of 4noun (2)
: a short thick roll of leather, felt, or paper usually pointed at both ends and used for shading or blending a drawing in crayon, pencil, charcoal, pastel, or chalk
stump
4 of 4verb (2)
stumped; stumping; stumps
transitive verb
: to tone or treat (a drawing) with a stump
Synonyms
Verb (1)
- barge
- clump
- flog [British]
- flounder
- galumph
- lumber
- lump
- plod
- pound
- scuff
- scuffle
- shamble
- shuffle
- slog
- slough
- stamp
- stomp
- stumble
- tramp
- tromp
- trudge
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English stumpe; akin to Old High German stumpf stump and perhaps to Middle English stampen to stamp
Noun (2)
French or Dutch dialect; French estompe, from Dutch dialect stomp, literally, stub, from Middle Dutch; akin to Old High German stumpf stump
First Known Use
Noun (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb (1)
1581, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun (2)
1778, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
1807, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing stump
Kids Definition
stump 1 of 2
noun
ˈstəmp
1
: the part of a tree that remains in the ground after the tree is cut down
2
: the part of something (as a tooth or a pencil) that remains after the rest has been removed, lost, or worn away : stub
stump
2 of 2verb
stumped; stumping
1
: perplex, baffle
My question stumped the experts.
2
: to walk or walk over heavily, stiffly, or clumsily as if with a wooden leg
Medical Definition
stump
noun
ˈstəmp
1
: the basal portion of a bodily part (as a limb) remaining after the rest is removed
2
: a rudimentary or vestigial bodily part
stumped
verb
1
as in stumbled
to move heavily or clumsily the seemingly endless parade finally ended, and the drummers and tuba players stumped wearily to their buses Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- stumbled
- shuffled
- stomped
- floundered
- barged
- lurched
- trudged
- weaved
- lumped
- clumped
- stamped
- sloughed
- hauled
- dragged
- tramped
- scuffled
- plodded
- shambled
- lumbered
- slogged
- staggered
- scuffed
- pounded
- galumphed
- tromped
- flopped
- blundered
- flogged
- swayed
- reeled
- waddled
- wabbled
- doddered
- tottered
- wobbled
- careened
- teetered
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- slid
- whisked
- floated
- glided
- hung
- waltzed
- hovered
- breezed
- drifted
- coasted
- hanged
- poised
- wafted
2
as in challenged
to invite (someone) to take part in a contest or to perform a feat when my grandfather was a kid, he and his friends would stump one another to dive into the local swimming hole Synonyms & Similar Words
- challenged
- dared
- confronted
- defied
- bearded
- faced
- braved
- brazened
- outfaced
- outbraved
- breasted