Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


bum

bum

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
bummed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
bumming
([GREEK]).]
[See
Boom
,
Verb.
I.
,
to roar.]
To make murmuring or humming sound.
Jamieson.

Webster 1828 Edition


Bum

BUM

,
Noun.
The buttocks; the part on which we sit.

BUM

,
Verb.
I.
To make a noise.

Definition 2024


bum

bum

See also: bûm

English

Noun

bum (plural bums)

  1. The buttocks.
    Okay, everyone sit on your bum and try and touch your toes.
  2. (Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, informal, rare, Canada, US) The anus.
  3. (by metonymy, informal) A person.
Quotations
  • For usage examples of this term, see Citations:bum.
Usage notes
  • In Canada, bum is considered the most appropriate term when speaking to young children, as in Everyone please sit on your bum and we'll read a story. In the United States, bum is not often used much used in this sense (though this may vary from dialect to dialect) except in conscious imitation of British English. The term butt is the most common term in North America except in professional contexts such as medical, legal, and scientific where buttocks is generally used or gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, etc. for the muscles specifically. Glutes is often used in sports medicine and bodybuilding. Ass (originally a dialectal variant of arse) is considered vulgar in North America, whereas backside, behind, and bottom are considered to be non-specific terms.
Synonyms
Translations

Verb

bum (third-person singular simple present bums, present participle bumming, simple past and past participle bummed)

  1. (Britain, transitive, colloquial) To sodomize; to engage in anal sex.

Interjection

bum

  1. (Britain) An expression of annoyance.
    • 2010, Jill Mansell, Sheer Mischief:
      Maxine tried hers. 'Oh bum,' she said crossly. 'The sugar isn't sugar. It's salt.'

Derived terms

Etymology 2

1864, Back-formation from bummer., from German Bummler (loafer), from bummeln (loaf)

Noun

bum (plural bums)

  1. (Canada, US, colloquial) A homeless person, usually a man.
  2. (Canada, US, colloquial, derogatory) a hobo
  3. (Canada, US, Australia, colloquial) A lazy, incompetent, or annoying person, usually a man.
    Fred is becoming a bum - he's not even bothering to work more than once a month.
    That mechanic's a bum - he couldn't fix a yo-yo.
    That guy keeps interrupting the concert. Throw the bum out!
  4. (Canada, US, Australia, colloquial, sports) A player or racer who often performs poorly.
    Trade him to another team, he's a bum!
  5. (colloquial) A drinking spree.
Synonyms
Translations

Verb

bum (third-person singular simple present bums, present participle bumming, simple past and past participle bummed)

  1. (transitive, colloquial) To ask someone to give one (something) for free; to beg for something.
    Can I bum a cigarette off you?
  2. (intransitive, colloquial, pejorative) To behave like a hobo or vagabond; to loiter.
    I think I'll just bum around downtown for awhile until dinner.
  3. (transitive, slang, Britain) To wet the end of a marijuana cigarette (spliff).
Synonyms
Translations

Adjective

bum (comparative bummer, superlative bummest)

  1. Of poor quality or highly undesirable.
    bum note
  2. Unfair.
    bum deal
  3. Injured and without the possibility of full repair, defective.
    I can't play football anymore on account of my bum knee.
  4. Unpleasant.
    He had a bum trip on that mescaline.
Quotations
  • For usage examples of this term, see Citations:bum.
Synonyms
  • (defective): duff (UK)
Translations

Derived terms

Etymology 3

Back-formation from bum out.

Verb

bum (third-person singular simple present bums, present participle bumming, simple past and past participle bummed)

  1. To depress; to make unhappy.

References

  • bum” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).

Etymology 4

See boom.

Noun

bum (plural bums)

  1. (dated) A humming noise.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

Verb

bum (third-person singular simple present bums, present participle bumming, simple past and past participle bummed)

  1. (intransitive) To make a murmuring or humming sound.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Jamieson to this entry?)

Etymology 5

Abbreviations.

Noun

bum (plural bums)

  1. (obsolete) A bumbailiff.
    • 1705, Bernard Mandeville, The Fable of the Bees:
      About her Chariot, and behind, / Were Sergeants, Bums of every kind, / Tip-staffs, and all those Officers, / That squeeze a Living out of Tears.

Anagrams


Albanian

Noun

bum ?

  1. (economics) boom

Irish

Noun

bum m (genitive singular bum, nominative plural bumanna)

  1. (sailing) boom

Declension

Synonyms

  • crann scóide
  • bumaile

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
bum bhum mbum
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Lojban

Rafsi

bum

  1. rafsi of bumru.

Mizo

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bum/

Verb

bum

  1. swindle
  2. cheat
  3. trick

Polish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bum/

Interjection

bum

  1. boom! (sound of explosion)
  2. bang! (any brief, sharp, loud noise)

Portuguese

Interjection

bum!

  1. boom (sound of explosion)

Serbo-Croatian

Verb

bum

  1. (Kajkavian) first-person singular future form of biti.

Spanish

Etymology

Onomatopoeic.

Interjection

bum

  1. boom

Transylvanian Saxon

Noun

bum m

  1. Tree

References

'http://www.siebenbuergersachsen.de/okessler.htm'


Volapük

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bum/

Noun

bum (plural bums)

  1. act of building

Declension

Derived terms


Welsh

Pronunciation

Numeral

bum

  1. Soft mutation of pum (five).

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
pum bum mhum phum
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.