LUMP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does lump mean? 

• LUMP (noun)
  The noun LUMP has 4 senses:

1. a compact mass

2. an abnormal protuberance or localized enlargement

3. an awkward stupid person

4. a large piece of something without definite shape

  Familiarity information: LUMP used as a noun is uncommon.

• LUMP (verb)
  The verb LUMP has 2 senses:

1. put together indiscriminately

2. group or chunk together in a certain order or place side by side

  Familiarity information: LUMP used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LUMP (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A compact mass

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

ball; chunk; clod; clump; glob; lump

Context example:

a ball of mud caught him on the shoulder

Hypernyms ("lump" is a kind of...):

agglomeration (a jumbled collection or mass)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "lump"):

clot; coagulum (a lump of material formed from the content of a liquid)

gob (a lump of slimy stuff)

clew (a ball of yarn or cord or thread)

Derivation:

lumpy (having lumps; not smooth and even in texture)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An abnormal protuberance or localized enlargement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

lump; puffiness; swelling

Hypernyms ("lump" is a kind of...):

symptom ((medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease)

enlargement (the state of being enlarged)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "lump"):

spermatocele (a swelling on the epididymis or the testis; usually contains spermatozoa)

bloat (swelling of the rumen or intestinal tract of domestic animals caused by excessive gas)

bunion (a painful swelling of the bursa of the first joint of the big toe)

dropsy; edema; hydrops; oedema (swelling from excessive accumulation of watery fluid in cells, tissues, or serous cavities)

haematocele; haematocoele; hematocele; hematocoele (swelling caused by blood collecting in a body cavity (especially a swelling of the membrane covering the testis))

intumescence; intumescency (swelling up with blood or other fluids (as with congestion))

iridoncus (swelling of the iris of the eye)

lymphogranuloma (swelling of a lymph node)

oscheocele; oscheocoele (swelling of the scrotum)

tumidity; tumidness (slight swelling of an organ or part)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An awkward stupid person

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

clod; gawk; goon; lout; lubber; lummox; lump; oaf; stumblebum

Hypernyms ("lump" is a kind of...):

clumsy person (a person with poor motor coordination)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A large piece of something without definite shape

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Synonyms:

hunk; lump

Context example:

a lump of coal

Hypernyms ("lump" is a kind of...):

part; piece (a portion of a natural object)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "lump"):

nodule ((mineralogy) a small rounded lump of mineral substance (usually harder than the surrounding rock or sediment))

nugget (a solid lump of a precious metal (especially gold) as found in the earth)

Derivation:

lump (group or chunk together in a certain order or place side by side)

lump (put together indiscriminately)

lumpy (having lumps; not smooth and even in texture)

lumpy (like or containing small sticky lumps)

• LUMP (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they lump    ... he / she / it lumps   
Past simple: lumped   
Past participle: lumped   
-ing form: lumping   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Put together indiscriminately

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

chunk; lump

Context example:

lump together all the applicants

Hypernyms (to "lump" is one way to...):

accumulate; amass; collect; compile; hoard; pile up; roll up (get or gather together)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

lump (a large piece of something without definite shape)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Group or chunk together in a certain order or place side by side

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

chunk; collocate; lump

Hypernyms (to "lump" is one way to...):

group (arrange into a group or groups)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

lump (a large piece of something without definite shape)

lumper (a taxonomist who classifies organisms into large groups on the basis of major characteristics)

 Context examples 

Most patients present with a painless breast lump.

(Breast Lymphoma, NCI Thesaurus)

Hardly. He is a lump of an animal without any head. He has all my—my—

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

An exam by a woman of her breasts to check for lumps or other changes.

(Breast self-exam, NCI Dictionary)

Procedure where the individual examines their own breasts for lumps and other changes.

(Breast Self-Examination, NCI Thesaurus)

It may also cause pain and a lump in the breast that can be felt.

(Intraductal breast papilloma, NCI Dictionary)

He had worn through the blanket-wrappings, and his feet were shapeless lumps of raw meat.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

If you have a breast lump, pain, discharge or skin irritation, see your health care provider.

(Breast Diseases, NIH: National Cancer Institute)

Mammograms can detect a lump two years before a woman can even feel it.

(Study Shows Chemotherapy Not Needed To Treat Many Breast Cancers, Carol Pearson/VOA)

A growth or lump that may be malignant (cancer) or benign (not cancer).

(Nodule, NCI Dictionary)

A procedure to mark and remove abnormal tissue when the doctor cannot feel a lump.

(Needle-localized biopsy, NCI Dictionary)