lump
verbEtymology 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”).
1
To treat as a single unit; to group together in a casual or chaotic manner (as if forming an ill-defined lump of the items).
- People tend to lump turtles and tortoises together, when in fact they are different creatures.
- Most gays don't want to know about us, so lumping us in their support efforts is counter-productive at best.1996 September, V. Maulsby, “The Importance of Outside Commnication to the Transgendered Inmate”, in Gay Community News, page 31:
1 more example
- Pellegrini’s decision to operate with both Edin Dzeko and Agüero in attack certainly looks misjudged bearing in mind that the first way to stop Barcelona is usually to try to crowd midfield and restrict space. Yet it would be wrong to lump all the blame on the manager’s tactics.2015 February 24, Daniel Taylor, “Luis Suárez strikes twice as Barcelona teach Manchester City a lesson”, in The Guardian (London):
2
To bear (a heavy or awkward burden); to carry (something unwieldy) from one place to another.
- Well, a male body was brought to a certain surgeon by a man he had often employed, and the pair lumped it down on the dissecting table, and then the vendor received his money and went.1876, Belgravia, volume 30, page 131:
- I never ceased to be amazed at his prowess at being able to lump two-hundredweight sacks of coal, which seemed as big as he was, up perhaps four flights of narrow stairs1999, Alf Goldberg, World's End for Sir Oswald: Portraits of Working-class Life in Pre-war London, Book Guild, →ISBN:
3
To burden (someone) with an undesired task or responsibility.
- The Luftwaffe, at this point, was still refusing to play ball completely, however. But someone decided to lump Adolf Galland with command of the air operation, and he decided to work with Luftflotte 3, mobilizing their training units to make up the numbers, since large numbers of that particular formation's fighters had been diverted to the campaign in Russia, which was why the fighter numbers were so much lower than they had been the previous year.2019 January 9, Drachinifel, 15:17 from the start, in The Channel Dash / Operation Cerberus - How to win through refuge in audacity, archived from the original on 24 Jul 2022:
4
Slang To hit or strike (a person).
- If that's the only way you can fight, then you'd better be prepared to get lumped.1962, Floyd Patterson, Victory Over Myself, page 63:
5
To form a lump or lumps.
- Thin the paint with mineral spirits for a medium consistency so that it will not drip or lump.2004, Creative Gifts: Quick & Easy Projects, page 44:
- Derived terms
- lumper, lump the lighter, lump together
- Related terms
- take one’s lumps, lump it, like it or lump it, love it or lump it, lump up