bum

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See also bủm, and bụm

Contents

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Etymology 1

1387, Unknown, but possibly Old Irish, Scottish Gaelic bun (“base, bottom”)

[edit] Noun

bum (plural bums)

  1. The buttocks
    Okay, everyone sit on your bum and try and touch your toes.
  2. (UK, Ireland, Aust, New Zealand, informal) (rare, Canada, US) The anus
  3. (by metonymy, informal) A person
[edit] Quotations
[edit] Usage notes
  • In the United States and 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. For older children and teenagers, especially males, as well as adults, the term butt is the most common term 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 (US derivation of Old English arse) is considered somewhat vulgar in North America, while backside, behind, and bottom are considered to be old-fashioned and non-specific terms.
[edit] Synonyms
[edit] Translations
informal: buttocks or anus
informal: butt(ocks) specifically
anus specifically

[edit] Verb

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

[edit] Derived terms

Terms derived from senses associated with etymology 1

[edit] Etymology 2

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

[edit] Noun

bum (plural bums)

  1. (North America, colloquial) A hobo; a homeless person, usually a man
  2. (North America, Australian, 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!
  3. (North America, Australian, colloquial, sports) A player, usually a man, who often or usually plays poorly
    Trade him to another team, he's a bum!
  4. (colloquial) A drinking spree.
[edit] Synonyms
[edit] Translations
hobo

[edit] 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) To behave like a hobo or vagabond; to loiter
    I think I'll just bum around downtown for awhile until dinner.
  3. (transitive, slang, UK) To wet the end of a marijuana cigarette (spliff)
[edit] Synonyms
[edit] Translations
to beg for something

[edit] 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.
[edit] Quotations
[edit] Synonyms
  • (defective): duff (UK)
[edit] Translations
of poor quality or highly undesirable
unfair
defective

[edit] Derived terms

Terms derived from senses associated with etymology 2

[edit] Etymology 3

Back-formation from bum out.

[edit] Verb

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

  1. to depress; to make unhappy

[edit] References

  • “bum” in the Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, 2001

[edit] Anagrams

[edit] Albanian

[edit] Noun

bum

  1. (economics) boom

[edit] Volapük

[edit] Noun

bum (plural bums)

  1. act of building

[edit] Declension

declension of bum
singular plural
nominative bum bums
genitive buma bumas
dative bume bumes
accusative bumi bumis
predicative bumu bumus
vocative o bum! o bums!
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