What does rump mean?
The word rump most commonly denotes the hindquarters or rear end of an animal, especially a four-legged one. Although it can refer to a person's backside, that usage often sounds formal, dated, or disparaging. Rump also has a broader figurative meaning: the final, remaining, or least influential part of a group or institution, as in references to the rump of society or the rump of a crowd. The sense extends further to a leftover fragment, often with the implication that what remains is insignificant or inferior. In culinary terminology, rump names a cut from an animal's rear end. The rare verb means to butt or strike with the rear end. Overall, rump is a compact word that moves easily from physical anatomy to social hierarchy, using the image of a body's final portion to describe what is left at the back of a group or the end of a process.
The rear end or hindquarters of an animal; also, by extension, the buttocks of a person. In figurative use, the remaining, final, or least influential part of something.
"The animal's rump was broad, and its tail moved lazily as it grazed."
Usually refers to animals in straightforward contexts. Human reference may sound clinical or derogatory, while figurative references often imply marginality or insignificance.
To butt or strike with the rump.
"The bull rumped the gate hard enough to shake it on its hinges."
Rare and chiefly literary or technical in tone.
The regular plural is used when individual hindquarters or distinct remaining portions are being referred to, though singular constructions are often more natural.
"The inspectors examined the cattle's rumps for signs of injury."
Rump began with an animal's rear end, then became a word for what is left behind when the best has gone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rump come from?
The English word appears in Middle English as a Germanic continuation of an old noun denoting the hindquarters or tail end. It is cognate with Dutch romp, German Rumpf, and Swedish rumpa, all belonging to the same Germanic family. Its figurative sense developed by extending the basic physical idea of the rear or final part to the remaining or least important portion of a larger group or thing.
How rump is actually used
The noun is more usual for the hindquarters of animals than for those of people. For a person, it may sound clinical, archaic, or derogatory depending on context. Its figurative use for a neglected or least influential group often carries a dismissive implication.
Easily confused with rump
Rump means an animal's rear end or a remaining portion, whereas rum is an alcoholic spirit made from sugarcane.
Rump is a noun referring to a rear end or remainder, while ramp is chiefly a sloping surface or a rising path.