English

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Etymology

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From Dutch boomken (shrub, little tree), equivalent to boom +‎ -kin. Note that the English word boom is etymologically related to the aforementioned in the sense of "large stem", or "big tree". Compare German Baumke, Bäumchen.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈbʌmpkɪn/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ʌmpkɪn
  • Hyphenation: bump‧kin

Noun

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bumpkin (plural bumpkins)

  1. A clumsy, unsophisticated person; a yokel.
  2. (nautical) A short boom or spar used to extend a sail or secure a stay.
  3. Dance, a series of reels, Scottish.
    • 1836, Joanna Baillie, The Phantom, act 1:
      They mix with Dancers, who now advance to the front, where a bumpkin, or dance of many interwoven reels, is performed; after which the Bride is led to a seat, and some of her Maidens sit by her.

Derived terms

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Translations

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