PLUMP

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does plump mean? 

• PLUMP (noun)
  The noun PLUMP has 1 sense:

1. the sound of a sudden heavy fall

  Familiarity information: PLUMP used as a noun is very rare.

• PLUMP (adjective)
  The adjective PLUMP has 1 sense:

1. sufficiently fat so as to have a pleasing fullness of figure

  Familiarity information: PLUMP used as an adjective is very rare.

• PLUMP (verb)
  The verb PLUMP has 4 senses:

1. drop sharply

2. set (something or oneself) down with or as if with a noise

3. make fat or plump

4. give support (to) or make a choice (of) one out of a group or number

  Familiarity information: PLUMP used as a verb is uncommon.

• PLUMP (adverb)
  The adverb PLUMP has 1 sense:

1. straight down especially heavily or abruptly

  Familiarity information: PLUMP used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PLUMP (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The sound of a sudden heavy fall

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

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

noise (sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound))

Derivation:

plump (drop sharply)

• PLUMP (adjective)

Comparative: plumper   
Superlative: plumpest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Sufficiently fat so as to have a pleasing fullness of figure

Synonyms:

chubby; embonpoint; plump

Context example:

pleasingly plump

Similar:

fat (having an (over)abundance of flesh)

Derivation:

plumpness (the bodily property of being well rounded)

• PLUMP (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they plump    ... he / she / it plumps   
Past simple: plumped   
Past participle: plumped   
-ing form: plumping   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Drop sharply

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

plummet; plump

Context example:

The stock market plummeted

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

drop (to fall vertically)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Sentence example:

The stock market is going to plump

Derivation:

plump (the sound of a sudden heavy fall)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Set (something or oneself) down with or as if with a noise

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

flump; plank; plonk; plop; plump; plump down; plunk; plunk down

Context example:

He planked himself into the sofa

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

place down; put down; set down (cause to sit or seat or be in a settled position or place)

Sentence frames:

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

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make fat or plump

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

fat; fatten; fatten out; fatten up; fill out; flesh out; plump; plump out

Context example:

We will plump out that poor starving child

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

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

"Plump" entails doing...:

feed; give (give food to)

Sentence frames:

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

Sense 4

Meaning:

Give support (to) or make a choice (of) one out of a group or number

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

go; plump

Context example:

I plumped for the losing candidates

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

choose; pick out; select; take (pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives)

Sentence frames:

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

• PLUMP (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Straight down especially heavily or abruptly

Context example:

we dropped the rock plump into the water

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

 Context examples 

It is characterized by the presence of spindle, plump, and epithelioid endothelial cells and cellular atypia.

(Composite Hemangioendothelioma, NCI Thesaurus)

"Say, you lemme alone. . . . I'm jes' plump tuckered out. . . . Goo' night, everybody."

(White Fang, by Jack London)

It is characterized by the presence of plump eosinophilic cells with abundant granular cytoplasm.

(Oral Cavity Benign Granular Cell Tumor, NCI Thesaurus)

Just then, with a roar and a whistle, a round-shot passed high above the roof of the log-house and plumped far beyond us in the wood.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

On his lap he had a little pile of gold and of silver, which he was dropping, coin by coin, into a plump pouch which hung from his girdle.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

At the top of these steps he came plump upon a sight that took his breath away and chilled his blood...

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

His plump face was twitching with his nervousness, and his fingers could not keep still.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The papillae are lined by plump endothelial cells.

(Papillary Endothelial Hyperplasia, NCI Thesaurus)

The wolf thought to himself: “What a tender young creature! what a nice plump mouthful—she will be better to eat than the old woman. I must act craftily, so as to catch both.”

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

She was short and plump, had a very pretty face, and the finest expression of good humour in it that could possibly be.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)