I. ˈthəmp verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: imitative
transitive verb
1.
a. : to strike or beat with or as if with something thick or heavy or so as to cause a dull sound
his tail thumped the ground — John & Ward Hawkins
thumping the counter with his fist — Rearden Conner
b. : pound , knock , hammer
c. : cudgel , thrash , whip
thumped the indoctrination officer who tried to stop him — Springfield (Massachusetts) Union
2. : to force or drive by repeatedly thumping
3. : to defeat decisively
4. : to strike against an object with a dull sound
the old man thumped his glass down on the bar and stalked out — G.G.Carter
5. : to produce (music) mechanically or in a mechanical manner by means of repeated thumps — usually used with out
thump out a tune on the piano
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to inflict or emit a thump : fall or hit so as to produce a dull sound
the gorilla is just as likely to thump upon the upper chest with his fists — Weston La Barre
the drums thumped and rolled again — Kenneth Roberts
b. : to move with heavy pounding sounds
down the steps thumped a crush of cheerful boys — Wilfred Goatman
the convoy of trucks thumped along for about thirty miles — Earle Birney
c. : to heat heavily
his heart thumped at the sight of her — T.B.Costain
the radiators began to thump — Berton Roueché
2. : to vigorously advocate, endorse, or advertise a program, policy, candidate, or product
got a couple of United States Senators to thump for him — New York Herald Tribune
II. noun
( -s )
1. : a blow or knock with or as if with something blunt or heavy
the thumps and bumps of factory and warehouse activity — Modern Industry
also : the sound made by such a blow
the smooth rumble of wheels over rails broke into a series of rattling thumps — John Dos Passons
2. thumps plural but singular in construction
a. : a dyspneic breathing that is marked by throbbing movements of the sides of the chest due to spasmodic contractions of the diaphragm analogous to those of hiccups in man, is especially common in young pigs, and is associated with deficiency anemia or the passage of larval ascarid worms through the lungs
b. : a disease (as a nutritional anemia or verminous pneumonia) of young pigs of which thumps is a symptom
3. : interference in a telephone circuit caused by the operation of telegraph or signaling circuits especially if the interfering circuits are using the same lines