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
stumped; stumping; stumps
1
: to reduce to a stump : trim
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
1
: to walk heavily or clumsily
2
: to go about making political speeches or supporting a cause
stumper
noun
: 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
stumped; stumping; stumps
: to tone or treat (a drawing) with a stump
Synonyms
Examples of stump in a Sentence
Verb (1)
the seemingly endless parade finally ended, and the drummers and tuba players stumped wearily to their buses
when my grandfather was a kid, he and his friends would stump one another to dive into the local swimming hole
Recent Examples on the Web
Laura Denby, Parents, 4 Aug. 2024
Patoka put together a work group that produced a report in March recommending the council expand by two, which was one of his stump issues during his first council campaign in 2018.
—Lia Russell, Baltimore Sun, 30 July 2024
With Covid-19 again on the upswing and amid an ongoing measles outbreak, the former president is taking aim at school vaccine requirements from the campaign stump, promising to defund the districts that mandate students receive certain vaccines.
—Dylan Scott, Vox, 14 Aug. 2024
Two police officers in Pennsylvania have been recognized for saving a man's life after his leg was severed in a stump grinder accident in June.
—Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for stump 
Noun
These even have a convenient and thoughtfully designed umbilical cord snap-down that prevents it from rubbing against your newborn child’s recovering cord stump.
—Laura Denby, Parents, 4 Aug. 2024
Patoka put together a work group that produced a report in March recommending the council expand by two, which was one of his stump issues during his first council campaign in 2018.
—Lia Russell, Baltimore Sun, 30 July 2024
With Covid-19 again on the upswing and amid an ongoing measles outbreak, the former president is taking aim at school vaccine requirements from the campaign stump, promising to defund the districts that mandate students receive certain vaccines.
—Dylan Scott, Vox, 14 Aug. 2024
Two police officers in Pennsylvania have been recognized for saving a man's life after his leg was severed in a stump grinder accident in June.
—Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for stump
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stump.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stump
Cite this Entry
“Stump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stump. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stump
1 of 2 noun1
: the base of a bodily part (as an arm or leg) remaining after the rest is removed
2
: the part of a plant and especially a tree remaining attached to the root after the top is cut off
3
: a part (as of a pencil) remaining after the rest is worn away or lost : stub
4
: a place or occasion for political public speaking
stump
2 of 2 verb1
2
a
: to walk or walk over heavily or clumsily
3
: to go about making political speeches
stump the state for a candidate
stumper
noun
Etymology
Verb
probably an altered form of earlier stump (noun) "a challenge"
Medical Definition
stump
noun1
: the basal portion of a bodily part (as a limb) remaining after the rest is removed
2
: a rudimentary or vestigial bodily part
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