hump
UK[hʌmp]US[hʌmp]
n
A rounded lump or mound, especially on a person's or animal's back.
v
To carry something heavy with difficulty, often on the back.
v
(British informal) To have sex with.
Etymology
The word 'hump' first appeared in English in the 17th century, likely as a borrowing from Middle Low German 'humpe' or Dutch 'homp', meaning a lump or hunk. These Germanic terms are thought to be of imitative or expressive origin, possibly related to the sense of something bent or crooked. The core idea of a rounded protuberance has remained consistent, extending metaphorically to describe the act of carrying a burden (like a camel's hump) and, in British slang, acquiring a vulgar sense from the early 18th century. Its journey reflects a pattern where a simple, concrete term for a shape evolves to describe related actions and acquires informal figurative meanings.
Analysis
The word 'hump' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. It is not productively formed from smaller, meaningful morphemes in modern English.
Examples
The camel's hump stores fat, not water.
We had to hump all our camping gear up the mountain.
The road humps are designed to slow down traffic.