LUMP

n. & v. --n. 1 a compact shapeless or unshapely mass. 2 sl. a quantity or heap. 3 a tumour, swelling, or bruise. 4 a heavy, dull, or ungainly person. 5 (prec. by the) Brit. casual workers in the building and other trades. --v. 1 tr. (usu. foll. by together, with, in with, under, etc.) mass together or group indiscriminately. 2 tr. carry or throw carelessly (lumping crates round the yard). 3 intr. become lumpy. 4 intr. (usu. foll. by along) proceed heavily or awkwardly. 5 intr. (usu. foll. by down) sit down heavily. øin the lump taking things as a whole; in a general manner. lump in the throat a feeling of pressure there, caused by emotion. lump sugar sugar shaped into lumps or cubes. lump sum 1 a sum covering a number of items. 2 money paid down at once (opp. INSTALMENT). øølumper n. (in sense 2 of v.). [ME, perh. of Scand. orig.]