PUMP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pump mean? 

• PUMP (noun)
  The noun PUMP has 3 senses:

1. a mechanical device that moves fluid or gas by pressure or suction

2. the hollow muscular organ located behind the sternum and between the lungs; its rhythmic contractions move the blood through the body

3. a low-cut shoe without fastenings

  Familiarity information: PUMP used as a noun is uncommon.

• PUMP (verb)
  The verb PUMP has 8 senses:

1. operate like a pump; move up and down, like a handle or a pedal

2. deliver forth

3. draw or pour with a pump

4. supply in great quantities

5. flow intermittently

6. move up and down

7. raise (gases or fluids) with a pump

8. question persistently

  Familiarity information: PUMP used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PUMP (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A mechanical device that moves fluid or gas by pressure or suction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("pump" is a kind of...):

mechanical device (mechanism consisting of a device that works on mechanical principles)

Meronyms (parts of "pump"):

cylinder; piston chamber (a chamber within which piston moves)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pump"):

aspirator (a pump that draws air or another gas through a liquid)

water pump (the pump in the cooling system of an automobile that cause the water to circulate)

suction pump (a pump for raising fluids by suction)

stirrup pump (a hand-operated reciprocating pump; used in fighting fires)

oil pump (a pump that keeps a supply of oil on moving parts)

lift pump (pump used to lift rather than force a liquid up)

hydraulic pump; hydraulic ram (a water pump that uses the kinetic energy of flowing water to force a small fraction of that water to a reservoir at a higher level)

heart-lung machine (a pump to maintain circulation during heart surgery; diverts blood from the heart and oxygenates it and then pumps it through the body)

hand pump (a pump worked by hand)

grease gun; gun (a hand-operated pump that resembles a pistol; forces grease into parts of a machine)

gas pump; gasoline pump; island dispenser; petrol pump (a pump in a service station that draws gasoline from underground storage tanks)

force pump (pump used to force a liquid up and expel it under pressure)

centrifugal pump (a pump that use centrifugal force to discharge fluid into a pipe)

bilge pump (a pump to remove bilgewater)

bicycle pump (a small pump that fills bicycle tires with air)

auxiliary pump; donkey pump (a supplementary pump available if needed)

air pump; vacuum pump (a pump that moves air in or out of something)

Holonyms ("pump" is a part of...):

fuel system (equipment in a motor vehicle or aircraft that delivers fuel to the engine)

cooling system; engine cooling system (equipment in a motor vehicle that cools the engine)

Derivation:

pump (operate like a pump; move up and down, like a handle or a pedal)

pump (raise (gases or fluids) with a pump)

pump (draw or pour with a pump)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The hollow muscular organ located behind the sternum and between the lungs; its rhythmic contractions move the blood through the body

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

heart; pump; ticker

Context example:

he stood still, his heart thumping wildly

Hypernyms ("pump" is a kind of...):

internal organ; viscus (a main organ that is situated inside the body)

Meronyms (parts of "pump"):

arteria coronaria; coronary artery (the artery that branches from the aorta to supply blood to the heart)

cardiac muscle; heart muscle (the muscle tissue of the heart; adapted to continued rhythmic contraction)

cardiac valve; heart valve (a valve to control one-way flow of blood)

valve (a structure in a hollow organ (like the heart) with a flap to insure one-way flow of fluid through it)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pump"):

athlete's heart (enlarged heart commonly found among athletes trained for endurance)

biauriculate heart (a heart (as of mammals and birds and reptiles) having two auricles)

Holonyms ("pump" is a part of...):

cardiovascular system; circulatory system (the organs and tissues involved in circulating blood and lymph through the body)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A low-cut shoe without fastenings

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("pump" is a kind of...):

shoe (footwear shaped to fit the foot (below the ankle) with a flexible upper of leather or plastic and a sole and heel of heavier material)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pump"):

spectator; spectator pump (a woman's pump with medium heel; usually in contrasting colors for toe and heel)

• PUMP (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they pump    ... he / she / it pumps   
Past simple: pumped   
Past participle: pumped   
-ing form: pumping   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Operate like a pump; move up and down, like a handle or a pedal

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

pump the gas pedal

Hypernyms (to "pump" is one way to...):

handle; manage; wield (handle effectively)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pump"):

goose (give a spurt of fuel to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

pump (a mechanical device that moves fluid or gas by pressure or suction)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Deliver forth

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Context example:

pump bullets into the dummy

Hypernyms (to "pump" is one way to...):

blast; shoot (fire a shot)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Draw or pour with a pump

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "pump" is one way to...):

draw; take out (take liquid out of a container or well)

"Pump" entails doing...:

pour (cause to run)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence example:

The women pump water into the bowl

Derivation:

pump (a mechanical device that moves fluid or gas by pressure or suction)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Supply in great quantities

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

Pump money into a project

Hypernyms (to "pump" is one way to...):

furnish; provide; render; supply (give something useful or necessary to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 5

Meaning:

Flow intermittently

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "pump" is one way to...):

gush; spirt; spout; spurt (gush forth in a sudden stream or jet)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Sense 6

Meaning:

Move up and down

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

The athlete pumps weights in the gym

Hypernyms (to "pump" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 7

Meaning:

Raise (gases or fluids) with a pump

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "pump" is one way to...):

bring up; elevate; get up; lift; raise (raise from a lower to a higher position)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

pump (a mechanical device that moves fluid or gas by pressure or suction)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Question persistently

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

She pumped the witnesses for information

Hypernyms (to "pump" is one way to...):

query; question (pose a question)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

 Context examples 

They pumped carbon dioxide over the plants to simulate the atmosphere of the future.

(Planet-Warming Gases Make Some Food Less Nutritious, Study Says, Steve Baragona/VOA)

The scientists were able to identify where different molecules interact with the transporter, including the sodium and chloride ions that are necessary for pumping serotonin.

(Serotonin transporter structure revealed, NIH)

Mechanisms involve expression of multidrug efflux pumps (p-glycoprotein), altered glutathione metabolism, decreased topoisomerase II activity, and changes in various cellular proteins.

(Multidrug Resistance Induction, NCI Thesaurus)

Biricodar binds directly to the plasma membrane drug-efflux pumps P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP-1) and inhibits their activities, which may result in increased intracellular accumulation and retention of cytotoxic agents.

(Biricodar Dicitrate, NCI Thesaurus)

In others, however, it can make the heart less able to pump blood through the body.

(Cardiomyopathy, NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

The activated T-cells divide rapidly, pumping out increased numbers of cytokines, proteins that assist them in an active and excessive immune response.

(When Liver Immune Cells Turn Bad, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Now the researchers artificially increased the number of electrons in the materials and were able to inject a pure spin current into them using a technique called spin pumping.

(Certain organic semiconducting materials can transport spin faster than they conduct charge, University of Cambridge)

Heart disease can make you feel breathless if your heart cannot pump enough blood to supply oxygen to your body.

(Breathing Problems, NIH)

The resulting blast is terrifyingly powerful, pumping out more energy in a split second than the sun emits in a million years.

(Evidence for supernovas near Earth, NASA)

Mechanisms involve decreased expression of multidrug efflux pumps (p-glycoprotein), altered glutathione metabolism, increased topoisomerase II activity, and changes in various cellular proteins.

(Multidrug resistance inhibition, NCI Thesaurus)