tramp

views updated May 11 2018

tramp / tramp/ • v. [intr.] walk heavily or noisily: he tramped around the room. ∎  walk through or over a place wearily or reluctantly and for long distances: we have tramped miles over mountain and moorland. ∎  [tr.] tread or stamp on: one of the few wines still tramped by foot.• n. 1. a person who travels from place to place on foot in search of work or as a vagrant or beggar.2. [in sing.] the sound of heavy steps, typically of several people: the tramp of marching feet.3. [in sing.] a long walk, typically a tiring one: they start off on a tramp from Roxbury to New York.4. [usu. as adj.] a cargo vessel that carries goods among many different ports rather than sailing a fixed route: a tramp steamer.5. inf. a promiscuous woman.6. a metal plate protecting the sole of a boot. ∎  the top of the blade of a spade.DERIVATIVES: tramp·er n.tramp·ish adj.

tramp

views updated May 29 2018

tramp stamp, tread heavily XIV; walk steadily XVI. prob. of LG. or Du. orig.; cf. MLG. trampen.

trample †tramp, stamp XIV; tread upon XVI. f. TRAMP + -LE3.