ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tramp

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ˈtɹæmp// UK //tɹˈæmp// tramp Informal Vulgar

n. a person who has no home or job and travels from place to place. It can also be a rude word for someone who has many sexual partners.

n. a person with no permanent home or employment who travels on foot; also used as a derogatory term for a person perceived as promiscuous.


SIMPLE

The old tramp sat on the park bench with his bags.

CONTEXTUAL

He spent years living as a tramp, moving between small towns and sleeping in fields or shelters.

COMPLEX

The novel explores the harsh realities of life for a tramp during the Great Depression, highlighting the social stigma and physical exhaustion of constant travel.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English trampen (“to walk heavily”), from Middle Low German trampen (“to stamp”) (trampeln (“to walk with heavy steps”), see trample) or from Middle Dutch trampen (“to stamp”), from Proto-West Germanic *trampan (“to step”). Doublet of tremp. Cognate with Dutch trampen (“to stamp, kick, step”), dialectal German trampen (“to step, walk, tread”), whence commoner German trampeln (“to trample”). Probably related to trap.

Etymology 2

Clipping of trampoline (ultimately related to the verb via German trampeln).

Usage

The sense referring to a homeless person is often considered dated or insensitive; the sexual sense is highly offensive.

Idioms1 entry

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