Etymologically
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rumpus

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 11 October 2026 at 09:27. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈɹʌm.pəs/[1]

Etymology

It is of unknown or uncertain origin,[2][3][4][5][6] “probably a fanciful formation”, according to the OED.[4] It may be an alteration of robustious “boisterous”.[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

A riot, uproar or disturbance (1764, first recorded in Foote).[7][3][4][5]

Semantic evolution

The meaning has not changed.[7][2][5] The rumpus room, a family playroom or recreation room, dates from 1938 in Etymonline[4] and 1940 in the OED, originally in North America.[7]

Timeline

  • 1764 – an uproar.[7][3][4][5]
  • 1839 – verb, to make a disturbance.[7]
  • 1938 – rumpus room.[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A noisy, sometimes violent disturbance; an uproar.
  2. A heated controversy.

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press