Definition

1. Noun:
   • A protective device on a vehicle: A bar or device attached to the front and rear of a vehicle to reduce damage in a collision.
   • A full glass or cup: A drinking vessel filled to the brim, especially when used for a toast.

Usage

• As a noun, "bumper" typically refers to the physical part of a car or to a very full drink.
• It is a countable noun (e.g., , ).

Examples

• Noun (Vehicle Part):
  • The car's rear bumper was dented in the minor accident.
  • Modern bumpers are designed to absorb impact.
• Noun (Full Glass):
  • He raised a bumper of fine wine to celebrate their success.
  • The tradition calls for a bumper of ale.

Advanced Usage

• "Bumper" as an adjective (in compounds): When used attributively before another noun, it can mean "unusually large or abundant." This is a separate, compound usage.
  • The farm had a bumper crop of wheat this year. (This means an exceptionally large harvest.)
  • The show was a bumper success.
• "Bumper-to-bumper": An idiom describing very heavy, slow-moving traffic where vehicles are close together.
  • The highway was bumper-to-bumper all the way into the city.

Variants and Related Words

• Bumper car (n): A small electric car driven in an enclosure at a fairground, designed for bumping into others.
• Bumper sticker (n): A strip of paper or plastic with a message or advertisement, designed to be attached to a vehicle's bumper.

Synonyms

• Fender (n): (Chiefly US) A guard over the wheel of a vehicle; often used synonymously with "bumper."
• Buffer (n): Something that lessens shock; a related concept for the vehicle part.
• Tumblerful (n), Goblet (n): Words for a full drinking vessel.

Antonyms

• Empty glass (n): The opposite of a bumper (full glass).
• There is no direct antonym for the vehicle part.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Bumper-to-bumper: As described in Advanced Usage.
• To have a bumper year: To have a year of exceptional success or abundance (derived from the adjectival compound use).
  • The company had a bumper year for sales.

Noun

1. a mechanical device consisting of bars at either end of a vehicle to absorb shock and prevent serious damage
2. a glass filled to the brim (especially as a toast)
   • we quaffed a bumper of ale