bumper

¹

[buhm-per]

noun

1. a person or thing that bumps.

2. a metal guard, usually horizontal, for protecting the front or rear of an automobile, truck, etc.

3. any protective rim, guard, pad, or disk for absorbing shock and preventing damage from bumping as a rubber-tipped doorstop or an old tire on the side of a boat.

4. a cup or glass filled to the brim, as with beer.

5. Informal.,  something unusually large.

6. a person who molds bricks by hand.

7. Foundry.,  a machine for ramming sand into a mold.

8. a carangid fish, Chlorosombrus chrysurus, of southern U.S. and Cuban coastal seas.

9. Television.

   1. Also called bumper tease. Also bump in a news program, a brief teaser coming at the end of a segment just before commercials, announcing or previewing a forthcoming story.

   2. Also called commercial bumper,. Also called break bumper. a brief interval of music, graphics, or voiceover serving as a transition between program and advertising content.

adjective

1. unusually abundant.

   Bumper crops reaped a big profit for local farmers.

verb (used with object)

1. to fill to the brim.

bumper

²

[buhm-per]

noun

Australian Slang.

1. the unconsumed end of a cigarette; cigarette butt.

bumper

¹

/ ˈbʌmpə /

noun

1. a glass, tankard, etc, filled to the brim, esp as a toast

2. an unusually large or fine example of something

adjective

1. unusually large, fine, or abundant

   a bumper crop

verb

1. (tr) to toast with a bumper

2. (tr) to fill to the brim

3. (intr) to drink bumpers

bumper

²

/ ˈbʌmpə /

noun

1. a horizontal metal bar attached to the front or rear end of a car, lorry, etc, to protect against damage from impact

2. a person or machine that bumps

3. cricket a ball bowled so that it bounces high on pitching; bouncer

bumper

³

/ ˈbʌmpə /

noun

1. old-fashioned,  a cigarette end

Word History and Origins

Origin of bumper¹

First recorded in 1750–60; bump + -er ¹

Origin of bumper²

First recorded in 1890–95; expressive coinage, perhaps blend of butt ¹ and stump + -er ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of bumper¹

C17 (in the sense: a brimming glass): probably from bump (obsolete vb) to bulge; see _bump

Origin of bumper²

C19: perhaps from a blend of _butt ¹ and _stump

Example Sentences

Another CBP officer was allegedly struck by the front bumper/fender of the truck on his right leg.

From Los Angeles Times

Both from a farming background, they have 8,000 vines suitable for northern climates and are expecting a "bumper crop" after the hot, dry summer.

From BBC

Russ Mould, AJ Bell investment director, said the UK stock market had soured following the suggestion, with investors wondering "if the era of bumper profits, dividends and buybacks is now under threat".

From BBC

The situation has not been the same across the whole of Scotland, and producers in Orkney have reported bumper yields.

From BBC

The lake’s threatened health became a rallying cry in the 1980s, when “Save Mono Lake” bumper stickers appeared on cars across California.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ample 
• bountiful 
• fertile 
• generous 
• productive 
• prolific 
• sufficient 
• unlimited