I. ˈhəmp noun
Etymology: akin to Middle Low German hump bump, Dutch homp lump, chunk, Frisian homp, himp
Date: 1681
1. : a rounded protuberance: as
a. : humpback 1
b. : a fleshy protuberance on the back of an animal (as a camel, bison, or whale)
c.
(1) : mound , hummock
(2) : mountain , range
the Himalayan hump
2. British : a fit of depression or sulking
3. : a difficult, trying, or critical phase or obstacle — often used in the phrase over the hump
• humped adjective
II. verb
Date: circa 1785
transitive verb
1. often vulgar : to copulate with
2. : to exert (oneself) vigorously
3. : to make humpbacked : hunch
4. chiefly British : to put or carry on the back : lug ; also : transport
intransitive verb
1. : to exert oneself : hustle
2. : to move swiftly : race