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bum

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Appendix:Variations of "bum"

Translingual

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Etymology

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Abbreviation of English Bulu, Cameroon.

Symbol

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bum

  1. (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Bulu (Cameroon).

See also

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English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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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”).

The anal sex senses (noun and verb), as well as the adjective (esp. the first) sense, are expletive-avoiding (i.e. Bowdlerized) shortenings of bumfuck.

Noun

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bum (plural bums)

  1. (informal or childish, chiefly Commonwealth)
    2. The buttocks.
      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:buttocks
      Okay, everyone sit on your bum and try and touch your toes.
    4. (specifically) The anus.
      Synonyms: see Thesaurus: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.
  2. (East Midlands, slang, vulgar) An act of anal sex.
    Synonym: bumfuck
    Go for a bum
Usage notes
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  • Bum is most common in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. In Canada, bum is mainly used 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, bottom and rear are considered to be non-specific terms.
Translations
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Verb

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

  1. (UK, Ireland, transitive, colloquial) To sodomize; to engage in anal sex.
    Synonym: bumfuck
    • 2016 December 3, “Soph Aspin Send”, performed by Millie B:
      Your bars are fake and my bars are real; / Is it true you got bummed on a field?

Interjection

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bum

  2. (UK, Ireland, childish, euphemistic) An expression of annoyance.
    Synonym: arse (more vulgar)
    • 2010, Jill Mansell, Sheer Mischief‎[2]:
      Maxine tried hers. ‘Oh bum,’ she said crossly. ‘The sugar isn’t sugar. It’s salt.’

Derived terms

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Terms derived from senses associated with etymology 1

Etymology 2

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

Noun

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bum (plural bums)(colloquial)

  2. (sometimes derogatory) A homeless person, usually a man.
    Synonyms: street bum, tramp, vagrant, wanderer, vagabond; see also Thesaurus:vagabond
  3. (by extension, also sometimes derogatory) 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, “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. (sports) A player or racer who often performs poorly.
    Trade him to another team, he’s a bum!
  5. A drinking spree.
    Synonyms: binge, bender
Translations
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Verb

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

  1. (transitive) [with off or (nonstandard) off of] To ask someone to give one (something) for free; to beg for something.
    Synonyms: cadge (UK); see also Thesaurus:scrounge
    Can I bum a cigarette off you?
  2. (intransitive) To stay idle and unproductive, like a hobo or vagabond.
    Synonym: loiter
    I think I’ll just bum around downtown for a while until dinner.
  3. (transitive, UK slang) To wet the end of a marijuana cigarette (spliff).
Descendants
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  • → French: bummer
  • → Norwegian Nynorsk: bomma
Translations
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Adjective

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    bum (comparative bummer, superlative bummest)(slang)

    1. Of poor quality or highly undesirable.
      Synonyms: bumfuck, lousy, subpar; see also Thesaurus:low-quality
      What kind of bum note was that??
      The defensive line made a bum rush on the quarterback.
      • 1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 4:
        "So I can see my finish with that firm when this bum show is over." "Well, I think you're silly, the way you go out of your way to get McIntyre's goat. You do, don't deny it."
    2. Unfair.
      Synonyms: iniquitous, unsporting
      The union reps gave us a bum deal!
    3. Injured and without the possibility of full repair, defective.
      Synonyms: duff (British), janky, riven; see also Thesaurus:broken, Thesaurus:out of order
      I can’t play football anymore on account of my bum knee.
    4. Unpleasant or unhappy.
      Synonyms: foul, disagreeable, distasteful; see also Thesaurus:unpleasant
      He had a bum trip on that mescaline.
    Quotations
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    Derived terms
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    Translations
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    Derived terms

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    Terms derived from senses associated with etymology 2

    Etymology 3

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      Back-formation from bum out.

      Verb

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

      1. To depress; to make unhappy.
      Usage notes
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      This expression is typically found in the passive voice or with the dummy pronoun it; therefore, one might say such sentences as:

      It really bums me when it rains on a weekend.
      I get bummed every time my vacation ends.

      But (usually) not:

      Mosquitos and horseflies bum me every time I go to the lake. (Here not to be confused with to bug and synonyms.)
      That song can really bum him and his brother.

      References

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      Etymology 4

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      See boom.

      Noun

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      bum (plural bums)

      1. (dated) A humming noise.

      Verb

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      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.

      Derived terms

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      Etymology 5

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        Abbreviation.

        Noun

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        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.
        Derived terms
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        References

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        1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 “bum”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
        2. ^ “bum”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
        3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “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 (2001–2026), “bottom”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

        Anagrams

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        Albanian

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        Etymology

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        Borrowed from English boom with orthographic adaptation.

        Noun

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        bum m

        1. (economics) boom

        Declension

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        Declension of bum
        singular plural
        indefinite definite indefinite definite
        nominative bum bumi bume bumet
        accusative bumin
        dative bumi bumit bumeve bumeve
        ablative bumesh

        Further reading

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        • “bum”, in FGJSH: Fjalor i gjuhës shqipe [Dictionary of the Albanian language] (in Albanian), 2006

        Ashkun

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        Etymology

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        From Proto-Nuristani *bū́mi, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *bʰúHmiš, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to be”).

        Noun

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        bum (Sanu)[1]

        1. earth

        References

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        1. ^ Strand, Richard F. (2016), “b′um”, in Nûristânî Etymological Lexicon‎[1]

        Indonesian

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        Pronunciation

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        Etymology 1

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        From Dutch slagboom (“boom barrier, boom gate”) or boom (“beam, barrier, tree, pole”). Doublet of bom.

        Alternative forms

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        Noun

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        bum (plural bum-bum)

        1. boom barrier, boom gate (a bar or pole that can be lowered or raised to controll the traffic)
        2. (figurative) customs (government agency that handles taxes of imported goods)
          Synonyms: bea cukai, duane, pabean

        Etymology 2

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        From English boom, a onomatopoeic word.

        Noun

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        bum

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

        Further reading

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        Irish

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        Etymology

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

        Noun

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        bum m (genitive singular bum, nominative plural bumanna)

        1. (sailing) boom

        Declension

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        Declension of bum (fourth declension)
        bare forms
        singular plural
        nominative bum bumanna
        vocative a bhum a bhumanna
        genitive bum bumanna
        dative bum bumanna
        forms with the definite article
        singular plural
        nominative an bum na bumanna
        genitive an bhum na mbumanna
        dative leis an mbum
        don bhum         		leis na bumanna

        Synonyms

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        Mutation

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        Mutated forms of bum
        radical lenition eclipsis
        bum bhum mbum

        Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
        All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

        Mizo

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        Etymology

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        From Proto-Kuki-Chin *bum.

        Pronunciation

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        Verb

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        bum

        1. to swindle, cheat, trick

        Further reading

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        Polish

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        Pronunciation

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        Etymology 1

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        Onomatopoeic.

        Interjection

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        bum

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

        Etymology 2

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          Borrowed from Dutch boom.

          Noun

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          bum m inan

          1. alternative form of bom
          Declension
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          Declension of bum
          singular plural
          nominative bum bumy
          genitive bumu bumów
          dative bumowi bumom
          accusative bum bumy
          instrumental bumem bumami
          locative bumie bumach
          vocative bumie bumy

          Etymology 3

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            Borrowed from English boom.

            Noun

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            bum m inan

            1. alternative form of boom
            Declension
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            Declension of bum
            singular plural
            nominative bum bumy
            genitive bumu bumów
            dative bumowi bumom
            accusative bum bumy
            instrumental bumem bumami
            locative bumie bumach
            vocative bumie bumy

            Further reading

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            • “bum I”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎[3] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
            • “bum II”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎[4] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
            • “bum”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎[5] (in Polish)

            Portuguese

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            Pronunciation

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            • Rhymes: -ũ
            • Hyphenation: bum

            Etymology 1

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            Onomatopoeic.

            Interjection

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            bum!

            1. boom (sound of explosion)

            Etymology 2

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            From English boom.

            Noun

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            bum m (plural buns)

            1. boom (a rapid expansion or increase)
              • 2023, Djalma do Nascimento Sousa, chapter 145, in Memórias do Sul do Maranhão, Maranhão, published 2023, page VIII:
                O "bum" do gado só veio com a crise do arroz no final de 80 para início de 90;
                The cattle boom only came with the rice crisis in the late 80s and early 90s;

            Further reading

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            Romanian

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            Etymology

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            Onomatopoeic.

            Interjection

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            bum

            1. boom

            Serbo-Croatian

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            Etymology 1

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            Verb

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            bum (Cyrillic spelling бум)

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

            Etymology 2

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            Borrowed from English boom or onomatopoeic

            Interjection

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            bum

            1. boom, bam

            Spanish

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            Pronunciation

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            • IPA(key): /ˈbum/ [ˈbũm]
            • Rhymes: -um
            • Syllabification: bum

            Etymology 1

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            Onomatopoeic.

            Interjection

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            ¡bum!

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

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              Borrowed from English boom.

              Noun

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              bum m (plural bums)

              1. alternative form of boom

              Further reading

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              Transylvanian Saxon

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              Noun

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              bum m

              1. tree

              References

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              Umbrian

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              Romanization

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              bum

              1. romanization of 𐌁𐌖𐌌

              Volapük

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              Pronunciation

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              Noun

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              bum (genitive buma, plural bums)

              1. act of building

              Declension

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              Declension of bum
              Singular Plural
              Nominative bum bums
              Genitive buma bumas
              Dative bume bumes
              Accusative bumi bumis
              Predicative1 bumu bumus
              Vocative o bum o bums
              1. Introduced in Volapük Nulik.

              Derived terms

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              Welsh

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              Pronunciation

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              Numeral

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              bum

              1. soft mutation of pum (“five”)

              Mutation

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              Mutated forms of pum
              radical soft nasal aspirate
              pum bum mhum phum

              Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
              All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

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