pump

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
pump1

▶noun

• 1 a mechanical device using suction or pressure to raise or move liquids, compress gases, or force air into inflatable objects.

• 2 Physiology a mechanism in living cells by which specific ions are moved through a cell membrane against a concentration gradient.

▶verb

• 1 force (liquid, gas, etc.) to move by or as if by means of a pump.

  ■ move in spurts as though driven by a pump.

  ■ (pump something out) produce or emit something in large quantities or amounts.

• 2 (often pump something up) fill (something) with liquid, gas, etc.

  ■ (pump something up) informal turn up the volume of music.

  ■ (as adj. pumped up) informal very enthusiastic or excited.

• 3 move or cause to move vigorously up and down.

• 4 informal try to elicit information from (someone) by persistent questioning.

– phrases
pump iron informal exercise with weights.

– derivatives
pumper noun.

– origin ME: rel. to Du. pomp ‘ship's pump’, prob. partly of imitative origin.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
pump2

▶noun

• 1 chiefly N. English a plimsoll.

• 2 Brit. a light shoe for dancing.

• 3 N. Amer. a court shoe.

– origin C16: of unknown origin.