stump

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
stump/stʌmp/

▶noun

• 1 the part of a tree trunk left projecting from the ground after the rest has fallen or been felled.

• 2 a projecting remnant of something worn away or cut or broken off.

• 3 Cricket each of the three upright pieces of wood which form a wicket.

  ■ (stumps) informal close of play.

• 4 a cylinder with conical ends made of rolled paper or other soft material, used in art for softening or blending pencil or crayon marks.

• 5 chiefly N. Amer. used in relation to political campaigning: a politician on the stump.

▶verb

• 1 informal baffle or puzzle greatly.

• 2 Cricket (of a wicketkeeper) dismiss (a batsman) by dislodging the bails with the ball while the batsman is out of the crease but not running.

• 3 walk stiffly and noisily.

• 4 (stump something up or stump up) Brit. informal pay a sum of money.

• 5 N. Amer. travel around (a district) making political speeches.

• 6 Art use a stump on (a drawing, line, etc.).

– phrases
up a stump N. Amer. informal in difficulties.

– origin ME: from Mid. Low Ger. stump(e) or MDu. stomp; sense 5 of the noun refers to the use of a tree stump as a platform for a speaker.