stump

—stumpless, adj. —stumplike, adj.

/stump/, n.

1. the lower end of a tree or plant left after the main part falls or is cut off; a standing tree trunk from which the upper part and branches have been removed.

2. the part of a limb of the body remaining after the rest has been cut off.

3. a part of a broken or decayed tooth left in the gum.

4. a short remnant, as of a candle; stub.

5. any basal part remaining after the main or more important part has been removed.

6. an artificial leg.

7. Usually, stumps. Informal. legs: Stir your stumps and get out of here.

8. a short, stocky person.

9. a heavy step or gait, as of a wooden-legged or lame person.

10. the figurative place of political speechmaking: to go on the stump.

11. Furniture. a support for the front end of the arm of a chair, sofa, etc. Cf. post¹ (def. 2).

12. a short, thick roll of paper, soft leather, or some similar material, usually having a blunt point, for rubbing a pencil, charcoal, or crayon drawing in order to achieve subtle gradations of tone in representing light and shade.

13. Cricket. each of the three upright sticks that, with the two bails laid on top of them, form a wicket.

14. up a stump, Informal. at a loss; embarrassed; perplexed: Sociologists are up a stump over the sharp rise in juvenile delinquency and crime.

v.t.

15. to reduce to a stump; truncate; lop.

16. to clear of stumps, as land.

17. Chiefly Southern U.S. to stub, as one's toe.

18. to nonplus, embarrass, or render completely at a loss: This riddle stumps me.

19. to challenge or dare to do something.

20. to make political campaign speeches to or in: to stump a state.

21. Cricket. (of the wicketkeeper) to put (a batsman) out by knocking down a stump or by dislodging a bail with the ball held in the hand at a moment when the batsman is off his ground.

22. to tone or modify (a crayon drawing, pencil rendering, etc.) by means of a stump.

v.i.

23. to walk heavily or clumsily, as if with a wooden leg: The captain stumped across the deck.

24. to make political campaign speeches; electioneer.

[1200-50; (n.) ME stompe, c. or < MLG stump(e), MD stomp (cf. G Stumpf); (v.) ME stumpen to stumble (as over a stump), deriv. of the n.]

* * *