# AMP

/ˈæmp/ (US) · /ˈæmp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/amp
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. music equipment

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a short way to say 'amplifier' — the box that makes an electric guitar or music louder.

For teachers: a clipping of 'amplifier', referring to an electronic device used to increase the power of an audio signal.

- The guitarist plugged his cable into the amp and turned the volume up.
- The band spent hours soundchecking to ensure the vintage tube amps didn't distort the cleaner melodies of the opening set.

### 2. electricity unit

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · Technical

a short way to say 'ampere' — a unit that measures how much electricity is flowing.

For teachers: a clipping of 'ampere', the base unit of electric current in the International System of Units.

- Check if the fuse is rated for thirteen amps before you plug in the heater.
- The electrical panel was upgraded to support sixty amps, providing sufficient overhead for the new industrial machinery installed in the workshop.

### 3. accelerated mobile page

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

Stands for Accelerated Mobile Pages — a way of making websites load very fast on phones.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Accelerated Mobile Pages; a framework designed by Google to optimise mobile web page loading speeds.

- The news site uses AMP to make sure articles open instantly on mobile devices.
- Implementing AMP significantly reduced the bounce rate for mobile users, though some developers critiqued the limitations it placed on custom scripts.

### 4. to excite or increase

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to make something more exciting or intense, usually used with 'up'.

For teachers: to increase the intensity, power, or excitement of something; typically functions as a phrasal verb with 'up'.

- The coach gave a speech to amp up the players before the big game.
- The marketing team decided to amp up the social media campaign in the final week leading to the product launch.

Usage: Usually followed by the particle 'up'.

## Examples

- He plugged his guitar into the amp and started playing.
- The band had to borrow a spare amp because theirs blew a fuse during the soundcheck.
- While digital modeling has improved significantly, many purists still insist that a vacuum-tube amp provides a warmth and responsiveness that solid-state electronics cannot replicate.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.