tramp
noun
- long-term homeless person
verb
- to walk, tread, or step especially heavily
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈtɹæmp/ / /ˈtɹeə̯mp/ / /ˈtɹɛə̯mp/
noun
Etymology: Clipping of trampoline (ultimately related to the verb via German trampeln).
- Clipping of trampoline, especially a very small one.
verb
Etymology: 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.
- To walk with heavy footsteps.
- To walk for a long time (usually through difficult terrain).
“We tramped through the woods for hours before we found the main path again.”
- To hitchhike.
- To tread upon forcibly and repeatedly; to trample.
- To travel or wander through.
“to tramp the country”
- To cleanse, as clothes, by treading upon them in water.
“Soak them [blankets, etc.], add to the water in which the linens were washed some soap, and also some of the preparation to produce a strong lather; rub or tramp them, then rinse and dry.”
- To scram; begone.
“She hesitated, “be off—tramp, march,” he exclaimed, in a tone which the poor girl dared not disobey. She left the room, and Edward followed her to the door.”
“Tramp, my lad. Bundle out of this, please, hand over hand, and double quick.”
- To shake or judder under hard acceleration or braking, referring to the movement of a vehicle's driving axle caused by the suspension not fully restraining it, leading to reduction in tire traction.