Pumping

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈpʌmpɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The act of forcing liquid or gas through a device, the rhythmic motion of a heart as it circulates blood, and the process of increasing pressure in a system all connote the idea of a dynamic movement
2. The movement of fluid or gas by a mechanism, the consistent beat of a heart driving blood circulation, and the elevation of pressure within a system each embody the concept of an active process
3. The process of moving a liquid or gas with force, the contraction and expansion of the heart's chambers in circulation, and the act of enhancing pressure within a system reflect a vigorous activity

Etymology: "Pumping" is the present participle and gerund of "pump", so the story belongs to the verb itself. The noun "pump" came into Middle English as "pumpe", most likely borrowed from Middle Dutch "pompe" meaning "pipe" or "water conduit", or from Middle Low German "pumpe". Its origin is probably imitative, and it is related to Dutch "pompen", German "pumpen", and Spanish "bomba", which also means "pump". The deeper origin is murky. The Oxford English Dictionary records the word in the 16th century and calls its origin "obscure". One suggestion links it to "pomp", meaning ornamentation, while another connects it to the sound a foot makes sliding inside a shoe while dancing. A more distant candidate is the Dutch "pampoesje", a slipper, which may have been borrowed from Javanese "pampus" and traced back through Arabic "bābūš" to Persian "pâpuš", meaning a shoe or slipper. None of these explanations is settled, so the word's exact path remains uncertain.

Synonyms: siphoning, drawing, extracting

Antonyms: filling, pouring