Bum: meaning, definitions and examples

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bum

[ bʌm ]

^{Context #1}

on the body

A person's buttocks.

Synonyms

backside, behind, buttocks

Examples of usage

She fell and landed on her bum.
He sat on the cold ground, feeling his bum go numb.

^{Context #2}

informal

A lazy or idle person.

Synonyms

idler, loafer, slacker

Examples of usage

Stop being a bum and start helping out!
He's just a bum who never does any work.

^{Context #3}

informal

To avoid work or responsibility.

Synonyms

laze, loaf, shirk

Examples of usage

He decided to bum around instead of looking for a job.
She's been bumming off her parents for years.

Translations

Translations of the word "bum" in other languages:

🇵🇹 bumbum

🇮🇳 बम

🇩🇪 Bum

🇮🇩 bokong

🇺🇦 дупа

🇵🇱 tyłek

🇯🇵 お尻

🇫🇷 fesses

🇪🇸 trasero

🇹🇷 popo

🇰🇷 엉덩이

🇸🇦 مؤخرة

🇨🇿 zadek

🇸🇰 zadok

🇨🇳 屁股

🇸🇮 rit

🇮🇸 rass

🇰🇿 бөксе

🇬🇪 ტაკო

🇦🇿 popo

🇲🇽 trasero

Word origin

The word 'bum' originated in the late 18th century, possibly as a variant of 'bumbailiff' (a sheriff's officer), with 'bum' meaning 'constable' in thieves' cant. Over time, it evolved to refer to a person's buttocks and later to describe a lazy or idle person.