verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/tæmp/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -æmp
CMU ARPABET:T AE1 M P
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To plug up with clay, earth, dry sand, sod, or other material, as a hole bored in a rock.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: blasting
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To drive in or pack down by frequent gentle strokes
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Tamp earth so as to make a smooth place.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To reduce the intensity of.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a tool for tamping (e.g., for tamping tobacco into a pipe bowl or a charge into a drill hole etc.)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tamper, tamping bar
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: tool
Narrower terms: stemmer
5
verb
Meaning 5
press down tightly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
tamp the coffee grinds in the container to make espresso
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tamp down, pack
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: compress, compact, pack together
History
Etymology
Probably a back-formation from tampin (misinterpreted as tamping), a variant of tampion.
Perhaps confusion with damp.
Across languages
Translations
39 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
натъпквам
(natǎpkvam)
— plug up with clay or other material
Chinese Mandarin:
搗固 /捣固
(dǎogù)
— plug up with clay or other material
Chinese Mandarin:
夯實 /夯实
(hāngshí)
— plug up with clay or other material
Czech:
ucpat
— plug up with clay or other material
Finnish:
tulpata
— plug up with clay or other material
German:
verstopfen
— plug up with clay or other material
German:
zustopfen
— plug up with clay or other material
German:
stopfen
— plug up with clay or other material
German:
verblocken
— plug up with clay or other material
German:
verstemmen
— plug up with clay or other material
Irish:
calc
— plug up with clay or other material
Italian:
borrare
— plug up with clay or other material
Russian:
заби́ть
(zabítʹ)
— plug up with clay or other material
Bulgarian:
набивам
(nabivam)
— pack down
Bulgarian:
трамбовам
(trambovam)
— pack down
Chinese Mandarin:
填塞
(tiánsè)
— pack down
Czech:
udusat
— pack down
Finnish:
tampata
— pack down
French:
tasser
— pack down
French:
compacter
— pack down
German:
stampfen
— pack down
German:
verdichten
— pack down
German:
stopfen
— pack down
German:
pressen
— pack down
German:
zusammenpressen
— pack down
German:
rütteln
— pack down
German:
festklopfen
— pack down
Greek:
πατικώνω
(patikóno)
— pack down
Polish:
ubijać
— pack down
Polish:
ubić
— pack down
Russian:
трамбова́ть
(trambovátʹ)
— pack down
Spanish:
apisonar
— pack down
Czech:
zmírnit
— To reduce the intensity of
German:
reduzieren
— To reduce the intensity of
German:
dämpfen
— To reduce the intensity of
German:
mindern
— To reduce the intensity of
German:
abschwächen
— To reduce the intensity of
German:
herunterfahren
— To reduce the intensity of
