Bum

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ÊŒm

1387, Unknown, but possibly Old Irish, Scottish Gaelic bun ("base, bottom")

Full definition of bum

Noun

1. The buttocks.Okay, everyone sit on your bum and try and touch your toes.
2. (UK, Irish, AU, New Zealand, informal, rare, Canada, US) The anus.
3. (by metonymy, informal) A person.

Usage notes

In the United States and Canada, bum is considered the most appropriate term when speaking to young children, as in Everyone please sit on your bum and we'll read a story. For older children and teenagers, especially males, as well as adults, the term butt is the most common term except in professional contexts such as medical, legal, and scientific where buttocks is generally used or gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, etc. for the muscles specifically. Glutes is often used in sports medicine and bodybuilding. Ass (US derivation of Old English arse) is considered somewhat vulgar in North America, while backside, behind, and bottom are considered to be old-fashioned and non-specific terms.

Synonyms

• (buttocks or anus) arse UK, Irish, Australian, New Zealand, ass North America, backside, behind, bottom, bum North America, butt North America, heinie North America, fanny North America, tush North America, tushie North America
• (buttocks specifically) butt cheeks North America, buttocks technical, cheeks, glutes muscles, gluteus maximus primary muscles
• (anus specifically) anus technical, arsehole UK, Irish, Australian, New Zealand, asshole North America

Verb

1. (UK, transitive, colloquial) To sodomize; to engage in anal sex.

Derived terms

1864, Back-formation from {{3}}, from German Bummler ("loafer"), from bummeln ("loaf")

Noun

1. (North America, colloquial) A hobo; a homeless person, usually a man.
2. (North America, Australia, colloquial) A lazy, incompetent, or annoying person, usually a man.''Fred is becoming a bum - he's not even bothering to work more than once a month.That mechanic's a bum - he couldn't fix a yo-yo.That guy keeps interrupting the concert. Throw the bum out!
• 1987, The Pogues - Fairytale of New YorkYou're a bumYou're a punkYou're an old slut on junkLying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
3. (North America, Australia, colloquial, sports) A player or racer who often performs poorly.Trade him to another team, he's a bum!
• 2001, Laura Hillenbrand - Seabiscuit: An American LegendSeabiscuit, wrote another reporter, “was a hero in California and a pretty fair sort of horse in the midwest. In the east, however, he was just a ‘bum’”
4. (colloquial) A drinking spree.

Synonyms

• (hobo) hobo, homeless person, tramp, vagrant, wanderer, vagabond
• (lazy person) loafer, bumpkin, footler, idler, lout, yob, yobbo, layabout
• (drinking spree) binge, bender

Verb

1. (transitive, colloquial) (with, after the object, off or, nonstandardly, off of) To ask someone to give one (something) for free; to beg for something.Can I bum a cigarette off you?
2. (intransitive, colloquial) To behave like a hobo or vagabond; to loiter.I think I'll just bum around downtown for awhile until dinner.
3. (transitive, slang, British) To wet the end of a marijuana cigarette (spliff).

Synonyms

• cadge British

Adjective

1. Of poor quality or highly undesirable. This should be another meaning of Noun: a failed attempt? I union reps gave us a bum deal. The defensive line made a bum rush on the quarterback.bum note
2. Unfair.bum deal
3. Injured and without the possibility of full repair, defective.I can't play football anymore on account of my bum knee.
4. Unpleasant.He had a bum trip on that mescaline.

Synonyms

• (defective) duff UK

Derived terms

Back-formation from {{3}}

Verb

1. To depress; to make unhappy.

See boom.

Noun

1. (dated) A humming noise.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To make a murmuring or humming sound.

Abbreviations.

Noun

1. (obsolete) A bumbailiff.
• 1705, Bernard Mandeville, The Fable of the Bees:About her Chariot, and behind,
  Were Sergeants, Bums of every kind,
  Tip-staffs, and all those Officers,
  That squeeze a Living out of Tears.

Anagrams

• UMB