# pump

/ˈpəmp/ (US) · /pˈʌmp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pump
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. mechanical device

noun · CEFR A2

a machine that moves liquids or gas from one place to another.

For teachers: a mechanical device used to move, compress, or displace fluids or gases through suction or pressure.

- The farmer used a water pump to get water from the well to the fields.
- The industrial facility required a high-capacity centrifugal pump to maintain the necessary pressure throughout the cooling system.

### 2. footwear

noun · CEFR B1

a type of shoe, such as a high heel for women or a soft sports shoe.

For teachers: a type of plain shoe that lacks fastenings; refers to high-heeled court shoes in North America or light canvas sneakers in British English.

- She wore a pair of black pumps with her professional suit for the interview.
- In the UK, children are often required to wear black canvas pumps for indoor physical education classes.

### 3. muscle swelling

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

the tight, full feeling in your muscles after lifting heavy weights.

For teachers: a temporary increase in muscle volume caused by blood engorgement during high-intensity resistance training.

- After doing twenty repetitions of the exercise, he felt a massive pump in his arms.
- Bodybuilders often seek a significant muscle pump before a competition to enhance vascularity and definition on stage.

### 4. to move liquid

verb · CEFR A2

to move liquid or gas using a machine or a rhythmic motion.

For teachers: to move or extract fluid by means of a pump or a similar mechanical action.

- The heart works hard to pump blood to every part of the body.
- The emergency crew had to pump water out of the basement for three hours after the pipe burst.

### 5. to inflate

verb · CEFR A2

to fill something with air, like a tyre or a ball.

For teachers: to fill an object with air or gas using a pump; often used with the particle 'up'.

- You need to pump up your bicycle tyres before we go for a ride.
- The coach spent the morning pumping up the basketballs to ensure they met the league's pressure requirements.

### 6. to get information

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to try to get information from someone by asking many questions.

For teachers: to elicit information from a person through persistent or artful questioning.

- The reporters tried to pump the manager for details about the new contract.
- Detectives attempted to pump the witness for information regarding the suspect's whereabouts on the night of the robbery.

### 7. to move rhythmically

verb · CEFR B2

to move up and down or in and out with a strong, steady rhythm.

For teachers: to move or operate with the rhythmic, forceful motion characteristic of a piston or pump.

- The crowd started to pump their fists in the air as the music got louder.
- The pistons continued to pump rhythmically, driving the massive engine forward across the plains.

### 8. to pass messages

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to send data or messages into a computer program.

For teachers: to feed or process messages through a software loop or system.

- The system needs to pump messages through the event loop to stay responsive.
- The application architecture was designed to pump asynchronous events into the main processing thread without causing latency.

## Examples

- I need a pump to inflate my bicycle tires.
- The mechanic replaced the fuel pump because the engine was not receiving enough gasoline to start.
- Industrial facilities often rely on high-capacity centrifugal pumps to circulate coolant through the primary heat exchangers during peak production hours.

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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.