1. 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.
Phrases and idioms:
in 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).
Derivatives:
lumper n. (in sense 2 of v.).
Etymology: ME, perh. of Scand. orig. 2. v.tr. colloq. endure or suffer (a situation) ungraciously.
Phrases and idioms:
like it or lump it put up with something whether one likes it or not.
Etymology: imit.: cf. dump, grump, etc.