Meanings
hamper1
plural hampers · alternative hampire
- A large basket, usually with a cover, used for the packing and carrying of articles or small animals.
a hamper of wine
2 more examples
a clothes hamper
an oyster hamper, which contains two bushels
- USA wicker or plastic basket specifically for holding laundry (from clothes hamper).
- UKA gift basket.
present singular third person hampers · participle present hampering · participle past hampered · past hampered · alternative hampire
- transitiveTo put into a hamper.
Competition pigeons are hampered for the truck trip to the point of release where the race back starts.
hamper2
present singular third person hampers · participle present hampering · participle past hampered · past hampered
- transitiveTo put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle.
Near-synonym: hobble
2 more examples
Wife. Away George, away, raise the watch at Ludgate, and bring a Mittimus from the Iustice for this desperate villaine. Now I charge you Gentlemen, see the Kings peace kept. O my heart what a varlet's this to offer manslaughter vpon the harmlesse Gntlewoman? Cit. I warrant thee (sweet heart) wee'l haue him hampered.
1607 (first performance), [Francis Beaumont], The Knight of the Burning Pestle, London: […] [Nicholas Okes] for Walter Burre, […], published 1613, →OCLC, Act III, signature F2, versoA lion hampered in a net.
1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLCSynonyms: hobble
- To impede in motion or progress.
They hamper and entangle our souls.
a. 1694, John Tillotson, The Advantages of Religion2 more examples
Engend'ring heats, these one by one unbind, Stretch their small tubes, and hamper'd nerves unwind.
1712, Richard Blackmore, Creation: A Philosophical PoemNR Senior Programme Manager Adrian Elliott describes the progress to date: "The weather has played a big part in hampering the programme. We had the wettest autumn ever and a number of winter storms to contend with, [...]
2020 April 8, Paul Stephen, “ECML dive-under drives divergence”, in Rail, page 44Synonyms: hinder, impair, disable, handicap, embarrass, encumber, cramp, cumber
plural hampers
- nauticalArticles ordinarily indispensable, but in the way at certain times.
One afternoon there was a mighty queer noise aloft, which set the men running in every direction. It was the main-t'-gallant-mast. Crash! it broke off just above the cap, and held there by the rigging, dashed with every roll from side to side, with all the hamper that belonged to it.
1847 March 30, Herman Melville, Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas; […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna restraint that confines or restricts freedom (especially something used to tie down or restrain a prisoner)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
hamper · noun, verb
- Proto-Germanic*hnappaz“cup, bowl”
- Frankish*hnapp“cup, bowl, basin”
- Old Frenchhanapier
- Anglo-Normanhanaper
- Middle Englishhamper
- Englishhamper
From Middle English hamper, contracted from hanaper, hanypere, from Anglo-Norman hanaper, Old French hanapier, hanepier (“case for holding a large goblet or cup”), from hanap (“goblet, drinking cup”), from Frankish *hnapp (“cup, bowl, basin”), from Proto-Germanic *hnappaz (“cup, bowl”). Cognate with Old High German hnapf (“cup, bowl, basin”) (German Napf (“bowl”)), Dutch nap (“cup”), Old English hnæpp (“bowl”). More at nap.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French
Full word history & related roots →hamper · verb, noun
- Middle Englishhamperen
- Englishhamper
From Middle English hamperen, hampren (“to hamper, oppress”), probably of the same origin as English hamble (“to limp”), Scots hamp (“to halt in walking, stutter”), Dutch haperen (“to falter, hesitate”), German hemmen (“to stop, hinder, check”). More at hamble.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian кошница с капак, препятствам
- кошница с капак (košnica s kapak)large basket
- препятствам (prepjatstvam)to put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- затруднявам (zatrudnjavam)to put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- преча (preča)to put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- пречка (prečka)anything which impedes
- препятствие (prepjatstvie)anything which impedes
Catalan recloure
- recloureto put into a hamper
Czech koš, překážet
- košlarge basket
- překážetto impede in motion or progress
- bránitto impede in motion or progress
- vaditto impede in motion or progress
Dutch korf, mand
- korflarge basket
- mandlarge basket
- pakmandlarge basket
- sluitmandlarge basket
- wasmandlarge basket
- inkorvento put into a hamper
- blokkerento put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- hindernisanything which impedes
- beletselanything which impedes
- obstakelanything which impedes
- struikelblokanything which impedes
- waarloosarticles ordinarily indispensable, but in the way at certain times
Esperanto korbo, malhelpi
- korbolarge basket
- malhelpito put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- ĝenito impede in motion or progress
Estonian takistama, segama
- takistamato put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- segamato put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
Finnish kori, panna koriin
- korilarge basket
- panna koriinto put into a hamper
- kahlitato put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- haitatato put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- vaikeuttaato put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- estääto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- esteanything which impedes
- pidäkeanything which impedes
French panier d'osier, bourriche
- panier d'osierlarge basket
- bourrichelarge basket
- entraverto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- entraverto impede in motion or progress
- empêcherto impede in motion or progress
- obstacleanything which impedes
German Korb, sich verstricken
- Korblarge basket
- sich verstrickento put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- sich verheddernto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- aufhaltento impede in motion or progress
- behindernto impede in motion or progress
- hemmento impede in motion or progress
- Hindernisanything which impedes
- Hemmnisanything which impedes
- Hemmschuhanything which impedes
Hungarian gátol
- gátolto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
Irish ciseán, ciseach
- ciseánlarge basket
- ciseachlarge basket
- cislarge basket
- bac a chur arto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- srian a chur arto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
Italian cesta, cesto
- cestalarge basket
- cestolarge basket
- canestrolarge basket
- panierelarge basket
- ingabbiareto put into a hamper
- rinchiudereto put into a hamper
- impedireto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- ostacolareto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- ostruireto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- bloccareto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- sbarrareto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- intralciareto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- ostacoloanything which impedes
- impedimentoanything which impedes
- ingombroanything which impedes
- ingombro di copertaarticles ordinarily indispensable, but in the way at certain times
Latin impediō
- impediōto impede in motion or progress
Māori whakatomo, tokanga
- whakatomolarge basket
- tokangalarge basket
- whirirualarge basket
- whakakōroiroito put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- whakakōpekapekato put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- kaiwaengato put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- whakararuto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- whakararuto impede in motion or progress
Polish ujarzmić, uwięzić
- ujarzmićto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- uwięzićto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- usidlićto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- spętaćto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- przeszkodaanything which impedes
- zawadaanything which impedes
Portuguese balaio, seira
- balaiolarge basket
- seiralarge basket
- canastralarge basket
- impedirto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- estorvarto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- obstruirto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
Russian корзи́на, затрудня́ть
- корзи́на (korzína)large basket
- затрудня́ть (zatrudnjátʹ)to put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
Spanish cesto, canasto
- cestolarge basket
- canastolarge basket
- canastrolarge basket
- banastalarge basket
- banastolarge basket
- cuévanolarge basket
- canastalarge basket
- estorbarto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- obstaculizarto put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- dificultarto impede in motion or progress
Swedish korg, hindra
- korglarge basket
- hindrato put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
- hämmato put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to ensnare; to inveigle
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with hamper
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
hamper. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hamper
“hamper.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hamper. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hamper,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hamper.
Source: hamper on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.