noun
crump
kruhmp
Crump (noun) means a dull, heavy thud, especially the sound of a distant explosion. Example: “Soldiers in the trenches learned to recognise the crump of incoming shells.”
noun
1
A dull, heavy thud, especially the sound of a distant explosion.
"Above this grey skyline slowly lifting clouds of dirty smoke rose into the morning air as the salvoes of Japanese shells exploded with a delayed crump."
— Richard Woodman, The Darkening Sea (2000)
""Now you can see what life is like for us here," said Yakov Shoshani, raising his voice to make himself heard over the sound of a loud crump."
— Paul Wood, BBC News (2008)
"Crump, crack! A shell exploded near them and the whole aircraft yawned to port as if somebody had punched it through the sky."
— Kate Atkinson, Behind the Scenes at the Museum (1999)
"Soldiers in the trenches learned to recognise the crump of incoming shells."
verb
1
To make that kind of muffled, heavy thudding sound.
"The mortar rounds crumped somewhere beyond the ridge."
How to use crump
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA word for the heavy "thud" sound of something like a distant explosion.
When to use it
Mostly seen in military or historical writing, especially about artillery.
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Word forms
- Plural
- crumps
- Third person singular
- crumps
- Past tense
- crumped
- Comparative
- more crump
- Superlative
- most crump
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Soldiers in the trenches learned to recognise the _____ of incoming shells.
Etymology
Believed to imitate the sound itself — the word was coined to echo the dull thud of an explosion.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for crump
See all rhymes for crump →Frequently asked questions
What does “crump” mean?
The word “crump” means a dull, heavy thud, especially the sound of a distant explosion. In plain terms, a word for the heavy "thud" sound of something like a distant explosion.
How do you pronounce “crump”?
“Crump” is pronounced kruhmp (/kɹʌmp/ in IPA).
How do you use “crump” in a sentence?
Here is “crump” used in a sentence: “Soldiers in the trenches learned to recognise the crump of incoming shells.”
What part of speech is “crump”?
Depending on how it is used, “crump” can be a noun and a verb.
How many meanings does “crump” have?
“Crump” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a dull, heavy thud, especially the sound of a distant explosion.
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