stump
stump — noun
- stumpsingular
- stumpsplural
1. The short remaining piece of a tree, tooth, or limb (or any object) that is stil
The short remaining piece of a tree, tooth, or limb (or any object) that is still fixed in place after the larger part has been taken away or broken off.
After the storm, only a short stump remained where the old oak tree had stood.
stump of a tree after cutting
The dentist pulled the rotten tooth, but a tiny stump remained in the gum.
Yuki tripped over a hidden stump while jogging through the forest path.
The gardener hired a company to grind down the large tree stump in the backyard.
After the amputation, the stump of his leg healed slowly over several months.
文法句型
a/the stump of [noun]
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the pattern 'the stump of [something]' to describe what type of remnant is meant.
常見錯誤
2. In cricket, one of the three vertical sticks placed into the playing surface to
In cricket, one of the three vertical sticks placed into the playing surface to make up the wicket, which the bowler aims to hit with the ball.
The bowler aimed carefully at the stumps, hoping to knock off the wooden bails.
collocation: aim at the stumps
The wicketkeeper dived to the side and knocked the stumps over just in time.
collocation: knock over the stumps
The batter defended the stumps as the ball whizzed past his bat.
Deepak celebrated loudly as the ball crashed into the middle stump.
The umpire checked whether the ball had hit the stumps before the batter ran.
文法句型
the stumps
hit the stumps
knock over the stumps
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural form 'stumps' when referring to the wicket as a whole. A single post is called a 'stump'.
常見錯誤
3. The moment in a cricket match when the day's play is officially finished, marked
The moment in a cricket match when the day's play is officially finished, marked by the umpires removing the bails from the stumps.
The umpire removed the bails and called stumps for the day at six o'clock.
phrase: call stumps
Play will resume tomorrow morning after today's early stumps due to rain.
The team led strongly at stumps on the second day of the match.
The captain decided to declare before stumps and give his bowlers a fresh start.
- close of play
a more general term for the end of a day's play in various sports
文法句型
at stumps
call stumps
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'at stumps' or 'call stumps'. Not used outside cricket commentary.
4. A series of public appearances and speeches made by a politician travelling to d
A series of public appearances and speeches made by a politician travelling to different locations in order to win support before an election.
The senator took his message to the stump, visiting every small town in the county.
phrase: take to the stump
Her energetic stump speech at the town hall won over many undecided voters.
collocation: stump speech
The candidate spent six weeks on the stump, shaking hands and answering questions.
Omar's first test on the stump was a debate before two thousand people.
The governor returned to the stump for the final week of the race.
- campaign trail
more general term for the entire journey of a candidate during an election period
- hustings
a formal term for election campaigning, especially in British English
文法句型
on the stump
stump speech
take to the stump
用法筆記
Almost always appears in fixed phrases like 'on the stump', 'stump speech', or 'take to the stump'. Rarely used as a standalone noun outside these expressions.
常見錯誤
stump — verb
- stumppresent simple I / you / we / they
- stumps3rd person singular
- stumping-ing form
- stumpedpast simple
1. To make someone so confused that they cannot find an answer, solution, or explan
To make someone so confused that they cannot find an answer, solution, or explanation for something.
The final maths question stumped even the best students in the class.
stump + direct object (someone)
The detective was completely stumped by the strange clues discovered at the crime scene.
passive: be stumped by [something]
Ananya's question about ancient Roman history stumped the teacher for a moment.
The crossword puzzle in today's paper stumped Kwame for nearly an hour.
Even the senior mechanics were stumped by the strange noise coming from the engine.
- enlighten
to give someone understanding or knowledge
文法句型
stump + noun (someone)
be stumped by + noun
be stumped for + noun (answer/reply/explanation)
用法筆記
Often used in the passive pattern 'be stumped by [something]'. The phrase 'be stumped for an answer' is a common fixed expression.
常見錯誤
2. To walk with heavy, noisy steps, especially when you are annoyed, upset, or impa
To walk with heavy, noisy steps, especially when you are annoyed, upset, or impatient.
Fatima stumped angrily out of the kitchen after the argument with her brother.
stump + direction adverb (out of)
The angry customer stumped across the shop floor to demand a refund from the manager.
stump + preposition (across)
The children stumped through the living room in their muddy Wellington boots.
Emilie stumped off to her room and slammed the door without saying a word.
The tired hiker stumped slowly along the muddy path towards the village.
- tiptoe
to walk quietly and lightly on the toes
文法句型
stump + adverb/preposition (off, away, out, across)
用法筆記
Always followed by an adverb or preposition showing direction ('out', 'off', 'away', 'across', 'through'). Can describe both angry stomping and tired, heavy walking.
常見錯誤
3. To travel to different towns, cities, or regions making political speeches in or
To travel to different towns, cities, or regions making political speeches in order to persuade people to vote for you or your party.
The candidate stumped through the Midwest for three weeks before election day.
stump through + region
Omar stumped across the state, shaking hands at diners and giving speeches in town squares.
The young politician stumped tirelessly in rural communities to win their trust.
A famous senator came to stump for the local candidate at the weekend rally.
Lucia stumped around the district for months, listening to voters' concerns about healthcare.
- campaign
the more general and formal term for electioneering activities
- canvass
specifically means going door-to-door asking for votes
- electioneer
a formal, less common verb meaning to take part in an election campaign
文法句型
stump + preposition (through, across, around) + place
stump for + candidate/issue
用法筆記
Common in American political journalism. The phrase 'stump for [someone]' means to campaign on behalf of another candidate. Can also be used for campaigning on a particular issue.
常見錯誤
4. In cricket, to stump a batter means to get them out by using the ball to knock o
In cricket, to stump a batter means to get them out by using the ball to knock off the bails from the stumps after they have stepped out of the crease.
The wicketkeeper stumped the batter with a quick flick as he stepped forward.
stump + direct object (batter)
The batsman was stumped after leaving his crease to play a big shot.
passive: be stumped
The bowler celebrated after the wicketkeeper stumped the batter off a spinning delivery.
Henrik was stumped on the last ball of the over, leaving his team in trouble.
- dismiss
the general cricket term for ending a batter's innings by any method
文法句型
stump + noun (batter)
batter is stumped
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in the passive form ('was stumped'). The wicketkeeper, not the bowler, is usually the one performing the stumping in the scoring record.
5. To clear tree stumps and root remains from an area of ground so it can be used f
To clear tree stumps and root remains from an area of ground so it can be used for agriculture, construction, or similar purposes.
The farmers spent the whole month stumping the field before planting the wheat crop.
stump + object (field)
A team of workers used heavy machinery to stump the overgrown plot of land.
The council hired a contractor to stump the land for the new school.
Before they could start farming, the family had to stump the entire hillside themselves.
文法句型
stump + noun (land, field, area)
用法筆記
A fairly specialised term used mainly in agriculture, forestry, and land development contexts. 'Clear the stumps' or 'remove the stumps' is more common in everyday speech.