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Definition of pump verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

pump

verb
 
 
/pʌmp/
 
/pʌmp/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they pump
 
/pʌmp/
 
/pʌmp/
he / she / it pumps
 
/pʌmps/
 
/pʌmps/
past simple pumped
 
/pʌmpt/
 
/pʌmpt/
past participle pumped
 
/pʌmpt/
 
/pʌmpt/
-ing form pumping
 
/ˈpʌmpɪŋ/
 
/ˈpʌmpɪŋ/
Idioms Phrasal Verbs
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  1.  
    [transitive] to make water, air, gas, etc. flow in a particular direction by using a pump or something that works like a pump
    • pump something (+ adv./prep.) The engine is used for pumping water out of the mine.
    • The heart pumps blood around the body.
    • It took ages to pump out the cellar (= pump the water out of it) after the flood.
    • pump something + adj. The lake had been pumped dry.
    Extra Examples
    • His heart pumped harder as he held his breath.
    • The lungs pump oxygen into the bloodstream.
    Topics Engineeringc1
  2. [intransitive] + adv./prep. (of a liquid) to flow in a particular direction as if it is being forced by a pump
    • Blood was pumping out of his wound.
    • The shock sent adrenalin pumping through her veins.
  3. [transitive] pump something (+ adv./prep.) to move something quickly up and down or in and out
    • He kept pumping my hand up and down.
    • I pumped the handle like crazy.
  4. [intransitive] to move quickly up and down or in and out
    • She sprinted for the line, legs pumping.
    • My heart was pumping with excitement.
  5. [transitive] pump somebody (for something) (informal) to try to get information from somebody by asking them a lot of questions
    • See if you can pump him for more details.
    6. Word Originverb late Middle English (originally in nautical use): related to Dutch pomp ‘ship's pump’ (earlier in the sense ‘wooden or metal conduit’), probably partly of imitative origin.
Idioms
pump bullets, shots, etc. into somebody
  1. to fire a lot of bullets into somebody
pump somebody full of something
  1. to fill somebody with something, especially drugs
    • They pumped her full of painkillers.
pump iron
  1. (informal) to do exercises in which you lift heavy weights in order to make your muscles strongerTopics Health and Fitnessc2
pump somebody’s stomach
  1. to remove the contents of somebody’s stomach using a pump, because they have swallowed something harmful
    • He had his stomach pumped after taking an overdose.
See pump in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee pump in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: pump

Nearby words

given
adjective
 
 
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