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lump

n. · v.
US //ˈɫəmp// UK //lˈʌmp// lump
  1. 1 a shapeless mass (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a piece of something solid that has no particular shape.

    a small, irregular mass of solid matter with no defined shape.

    Example

    He found a large lump of coal in the garden while digging.

    Example

    The sculptor began with a shapeless lump of clay, gradually refining the form until a human figure emerged from the raw material.
  2. 2 medical swelling (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

    a hard area or swelling on or under the skin.

    a protuberance or localized swelling on the body, often indicating injury or infection.

    Example

    You should see a doctor if you find a strange lump on your neck.

    Example

    The patient reported a small, painless lump in his armpit that had appeared shortly after he recovered from a viral infection.
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  1. 3 sugar (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Cooking

    a small square or piece of sugar for tea or coffee.

    a small, pre-measured cube or mass of sugar.

    Example

    Would you like one lump of sugar or two in your tea?

    Example

    The traditional tea service included a silver bowl filled with sugar lumps and a pair of matching tongs.
  2. 4 to group together (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to put different things into the same group, even if they are not the same.

    to group or categorize disparate items together, often in a careless or oversimplified manner.

    Example

    You shouldn't lump all teenagers together as if they all behave the same way.

    Example

    Critics argued that the report unfairly lumped several distinct social issues together, failing to address the unique causes of each problem.

    Usage

    Often used with the preposition 'together'.
  3. 5 to tolerate (v.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    to accept a situation you do not like because you cannot change it.

    to endure or tolerate an unpleasant situation; almost exclusively used in the idiom 'like it or lump it'.

    Example

    The office is moving to the city centre, so we just have to like it or lump it.

    Example

    The new regulations are mandatory for all staff members; they will simply have to like it or lump it until the next review cycle.
  4. 6 a person (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Informal Humorous

    a person who is heavy, slow, or lazy.

    a person perceived as being physically large, clumsy, or mentally dull.

    Example

    Get off the sofa, you big lump, and help me with the shopping.

    Example

    He was a great, silent lump of a man who rarely spoke but was surprisingly efficient at heavy manual labour.
Origin

From Middle English lumpe, from a Germanic base akin to Proto-Germanic *limpaną (“to glide, go, hang loosely”). Compare Dutch lomp (“rag”), German Low German Lump (“rag”), German Lumpen (“rag”) and Lump (“ragamuffin”).

Word family
Idioms2 entries

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