bum
part of speech
noun (a bum, bums); verb (bum, bums, bummed, bumming); adjective (bum, informal)
meaning for a pupil
1) (informal, UK/Australia) Your bottom, the part you sit on. tree →
2) (informal, US) A homeless person or someone who will not work; can be unkind. tree →
3) (informal) A person who spends all their time on a hobby (a beach bum, a gym bum). tree →
4) (slang) To bum something: to ask someone for it for free (bum a ride). tree →
5) (slang, US) Bad or poor quality (a bum deal, a bum knee). tree →
6) Bum can also be a deep booming sound, like a cannon or a drum. tree →
sense in the lessons
In UK and Australian homes «bum» is a mild, childish word for bottom. In US slang it is more often an insult for a lazy or homeless person. Phrases: bum around (do nothing much), bum a lift, a bum deal, beach bum.
examples
- The baby fell on his bum. tree →
- Sit on your bum and stay still! (UK, informal) tree →
- He spent the summer as a beach bum. tree →
- Can I bum a lift home? (slang) tree →
- That's a bum deal; you paid too much. (US slang) tree →
- I bummed around at home all Saturday. tree →
- Get off your bum and help! tree →
- The whole city was illuminated in the evening, and the cannons went off with a bum! bum! and the soldiers presented arms. tree →
note
Mild but informal; in the UK not really rude, in the US calling someone a bum is an insult. Not for formal writing: say «bottom» or «buttocks» in science. «Bummed» (US slang) can also mean sad or disappointed.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «bum» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.