I. ˈstəmp noun
Etymology: Middle English stumpe; akin to Old High German stumpf stump and perhaps to Middle English stampen to stamp
Date: 14th century
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
II. verb
Date: 1581
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 3
intransitive verb
1. : to walk heavily or clumsily
2. : to go about making political speeches or supporting a cause
• stump·er noun
III. noun
Etymology: French or Dutch dialect; French estompe, from Dutch dialect stomp, literally, stub, from Middle Dutch; akin to Old High German stumpf stump
Date: 1778
: 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
IV. transitive verb
Date: 1807
: to tone or treat (a drawing) with a stump