What does "bumps" mean?

1. (raised areas) small raised parts on a surface that is usually flat. 2. (birthday tradition) a British tradition where friends lift a person up and down on their birthday.

bumps

US //ˈbəmps// UK //bˈʌmps// bumps

1 raised areas (n.)
A2 Elementary

small raised parts on a surface that is usually flat.

plural noun referring to small protuberances or swellings on an otherwise smooth surface.

Example

The old road was full of bumps that made the car shake.

Example

The dermatologist examined the small red bumps on the patient's arm to determine if they were an allergic reaction or a viral infection.
- lumps
- bulges
- swells
- hollows
- dents
2 birthday tradition (n.)
C1 Advanced British English Informal

a British tradition where friends lift a person up and down on their birthday.

a British celebratory ritual, typically for birthdays, involving lifting a person by their limbs and tossing them into the air or bumping them against the ground.

Example

After we sang 'Happy Birthday', we gave him the bumps.

Example

It was a school tradition to give the birthday boy the bumps, though teachers often discouraged the practice for safety reasons.

Teacher's tip

This is a culturally specific British term; learners should be aware it is rarely used or understood in American English.

Idioms1 entry

01
royal bumps
A ritual of two or more persons holding another person by the arms and legs, face up, while bumping them repeatedly on the floor. In modern times it is a lighthearted affair, generally performed only on a young person's birthday with the number of bumps corresponding to the person's age in years. Historically it was a hazing.