<p><strong>Verb (used with object)</strong></p><ul><li>to come more or less violently in contact with; collide with; strike: His car bumped a truck.</li><li>to cause to strike or collide: He bumped the car against a tree.</li><li>to dislodge or displace by the force of collision.</li><li>to dislodge by appropriating the privileges of: The airline bumped me from the flight.</li><li>to demote or dismiss: He was bumped from his job.</li><li>to force upward; raise: Demand from abroad bumped the price of corn.</li><li>to move to a new position: We had to bump your story to next week's paper.</li><li>Digital Technology: to move (an online post or thread) to the top of the reverse chronological list by adding a new comment or post to the thread: I bumped the question I posted last week to make it more visible.</li><li>Poker: raise.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb (used without object)</strong></p><ul><li>to come in contact or collide with (often followed by against or into): She bumped into me.</li><li>to bounce along; proceed in a series of jolts: The old car bumped down the road.</li><li>to dance by thrusting the pelvis forward abruptly, in a provocative manner, especially to the accompaniment of an accented musical beat.</li><li>to boil with violent jolts caused by the sudden eruption of large bubbles through the surface.</li></ul><p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>an act or instance of bumping; collision; blow.</li><li>the shock of a blow or collision.</li><li>a swelling or contusion from a blow.</li><li>a small area raised above the level of the surrounding surface; protuberance: He tripped over a bump on the sidewalk.</li><li>Informal: a promotion or demotion; transfer to a higher or lower level: He got a bump to vice president of the company.</li><li>Informal: an increase in amount, especially of salary or a wager: He asked the boss for a ten-dollar bump.</li><li>Aeronautics: a rapidly rising current of air that gives an airplane a severe upward thrust.</li><li>a dance movement in which the pelvis is abruptly thrust forward in a provocative manner, especially to the accompaniment of an accented musical beat.</li><li>Mining: crump.</li><li>Television: bumper.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb phrase</strong></p><ul><li>Slang: to kill, especially to murder: They bumped him off because he knew too much.</li><li>Informal: to meet by chance: I bumped into an old friend yesterday.</li></ul>