stump

/stʌmp/
verb
  1. To confuse or puzzle someone so that they cannot answer or solve something.
    • The tricky math problem stumped the entire class.
    • She asked a question that stumped even the expert.
    • I was completely stumped by the crossword clue.
  2. To walk heavily or clumsily, often with a stiff or uneven gait.
    • He stumped along the path in his heavy boots.
    • The old man stumped up the stairs, holding the railing.
    • After the long hike, she stumped into the house, exhausted.
  3. To travel around a region making political speeches, especially during a campaign.
    • He spent the fall stumping for votes ahead of the primary.
    • The candidate stumped through three states in one week.
    • She stumped for her party in small towns across the Midwest.
noun
  1. The part of a tree that remains in the ground after the trunk has been cut down.
    • We sat on an old tree stump and ate our lunch.
    • After the storm, only a few stumps were left where the tall oaks once stood.
    • The farmer used a tractor to pull the stump out of the field.
  2. A short remaining piece of something that has been cut or broken off, such as a limb, tooth, or pencil.
    • The dentist removed the broken tooth, leaving a tiny stump.
    • He had a stump where his leg had been amputated.
    • The pencil was worn down to a small stump.
  3. A situation in a political campaign where a candidate gives speeches, especially from a temporary platform.
    • The senator took her message to the stump in rural towns.
    • The candidate's stump speech focused on jobs and healthcare.
    • He has been on the stump for months before the election.