Wiktionary

bum

See also: bûm

EnglishEdit

PronunciationEdit

  • IPA(key): /bʌm/
  • Audio (CA)(file)
  • Audio (AU)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ʌm

Etymology 1Edit

Attested since the 1300s,[1][2][3] as Middle English bom[1] (found in John Trevisa's 1387 Translation of the 'Polychronicon' of Ranulph Higden, "his bom is oute"), of uncertain origin.[1] Sometimes suggested to be a shortening of botme, botom, bottum (“bottom”), but this is contradicted by the fact that bottom is not attested in reference to the buttocks until the late 1700s.[4][5] Suggested by some old[4] and modern references to be onomatopoeic.[3] Compare also Old Irish, Scottish Gaelic bun (“base, bottom”).

NounEdit

bum (plural bums)

  1. (informal, chiefly Commonwealth of Nations) The buttocks.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:buttocks
    Okay, everyone sit on your bum and try and touch your toes.
  2. (informal, chiefly Commonwealth of Nations) The anus.
    • 2013, Steven L. Ablon, ‎Daniel P. Brown, ‎Edward J. Khantzian, Human Feelings: Explorations in Affect Development and Meaning, page 132:
      John said that when he was little he stuck his finger in his bum and tasted his poopies and it was good.
    • 2015, Jonathan Nicholas, Who'd be a copper?: Thirty years a frontline British cop:
      What could the man possibly be hiding up his bum anyway?
    • 2016, Lisa Keenan-Lindsay, ‎Cheryl Sams, ‎Constance L. O'Connor, Maternal Child Nursing Care in Canada, page 118:
      Do you have intercourse (i.e., Do you penetrate your partner in the vagina or anus [bum]? Or does your partner penetrate your vagina or anus [bum])?
    • 2017, Jean Renvoize, Innocence Destroyed: A Study of Child Sexual Abuse:
      […] and said Daddy had put a finger up her bum.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:anus
Usage notesEdit
  • 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 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.
TranslationsEdit

VerbEdit

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

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

InterjectionEdit

bum

  1. (UK) 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 termsEdit

Terms derived from senses associated with etymology 1

Etymology 2Edit

1864, back-formation from bummer, from German Bummler (“loafer”), from bummeln (“to loaf”).

NounEdit

bum (plural bums)

  2. (US, Canada, colloquial, sometimes derogatory) A homeless person, usually a man.
    Synonyms: tramp, vagrant, wanderer, vagabond; see also Thesaurus:vagabond
  3. (US, Canada, Australia, colloquial) A lazy, incompetent, or annoying person, usually a man.
    Synonyms: loafer, bumpkin, footler; see also Thesaurus:idler
    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!
    • 1987, “Fairytale of New York”, performed by The Pogues:
      You're a bum / You're a punk / You're an old slut on junk / Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
    • 1988, Michael Weikath (lyrics and music), “Keeper of the Seven Keys”, in Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II, performed by Helloween:
      Man who do you just think you are? / A silly bum with seven stars
  4. (US, Canada, 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: binge, bender
TranslationsEdit

VerbEdit

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.
    Synonyms: (British) cadge; see also Thesaurus:scrounge
    Can I bum a cigarette off you?
  2. (intransitive, colloquial) To stay idle and unproductive, like a hobo or vagabond.
    Synonym: 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).
TranslationsEdit

AdjectiveEdit

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.
    Synonym: (UK) duff
    I can't play football anymore on account of my bum knee.
  4. Unpleasant or unhappy.
    He had a bum trip on that mescaline.
QuotationsEdit
TranslationsEdit

Derived termsEdit

Terms derived from senses associated with etymology 2

Etymology 3Edit

Back-formation from bum out.

VerbEdit

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

  1. To depress; to make unhappy.

ReferencesEdit

Etymology 4Edit

See boom.

NounEdit

bum (plural bums)

  1. (dated) A humming noise.

VerbEdit

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.
    • 1722, William Hamilton, The Wallace:
      English men bum there [Stirling] as thick as bees.

Etymology 5Edit

Abbreviations.

NounEdit

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.

ReferencesEdit

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 “bum”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
  2. ^ “bum”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Douglas Harper (2001–2022), “bum”, in Online Etymology Dictionary. (which quotes the OED)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 John Stephen Farmer, William Ernest Henley, Slang and Its Analogues Past and Present: A Dictionary (1890), "bum"
  5. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2022), “bottom”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

AnagramsEdit

AlbanianEdit

EtymologyEdit

From English boom with orthographic adaptation.

NounEdit

bum ?

  1. (economics) boom

IndonesianEdit

 
Indonesian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia id

PronunciationEdit

  • IPA(key): [ˈbʊm]
  • Hyphenation: bum

Etymology 1Edit

From Dutch slagboom (“boom barrier, boom gate”) or boom (“beam, barrier, tree, pole”), from Middle Dutch bôom, from Old Dutch bōm, from Proto-Germanic *baumaz. Doublet of bom.

NounEdit

bum (first-person possessive bumku, second-person possessive bummu, third-person possessive bumnya)

  1. boom barrier, boom gate
  2. (figuratively) customs.
Alternative formsEdit
SynonymsEdit

Etymology 2Edit

From English boom, onomatopoeic.

NounEdit

bum (first-person possessive bumku, second-person possessive bummu, third-person possessive bumnya)

  1. (economics, business) boom: a period of prosperity, growth, progress, or high market activity.

Further readingEdit

IrishEdit

EtymologyEdit

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

NounEdit

bum m (genitive singular bum, nominative plural bumanna)

  1. (sailing) boom

DeclensionEdit

Declension of bum

Fourth declension

Bare forms

Case Singular Plural
Nominative bum bumanna
Vocative a bhum a bhumanna
Genitive bum bumanna
Dative bum bumanna

Forms with the definite article

Case Singular Plural
Nominative an bum na bumanna
Genitive an bhum na mbumanna
Dative leis an mbum

don bhum

leis na bumanna

SynonymsEdit

MutationEdit

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.

MizoEdit

PronunciationEdit

VerbEdit

bum

  1. swindle
  2. cheat
  3. trick

PolishEdit

PronunciationEdit

InterjectionEdit

bum

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

Further readingEdit

  • bum in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • bum in Polish dictionaries at PWN

PortugueseEdit

InterjectionEdit

bum!

  1. boom (sound of explosion)

RomanianEdit

EtymologyEdit

Onomatopoeic.

InterjectionEdit

bum

  1. boom

Serbo-CroatianEdit

VerbEdit

bum (Cyrillic spelling бум)

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

SpanishEdit

EtymologyEdit

Onomatopoeic.

PronunciationEdit

InterjectionEdit

¡bum!

  1. boom (used to suggest the sound of an explosion)
  2. boom (used to suggest something happening suddenly and unexpectedly)

See alsoEdit

Further readingEdit

Transylvanian SaxonEdit

NounEdit

bum m

  1. tree

ReferencesEdit

VolapükEdit

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

bum (nominative plural bums)

  1. act of building

DeclensionEdit

declension of bum
singular plural
nominative bum bums
genitive buma bumas
dative bume bumes
accusative bumi bumis
vocative 1 o bum! o bums!
predicative 2 bumu bumus
  • 1 status as a case is disputed
  • 2 in later, non-classical Volapük only

Derived termsEdit

WelshEdit

PronunciationEdit

NumeralEdit

bum

  1. Soft mutation of pum (“five”).

MutationEdit

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.
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