speed bump
7
2.5
- noun
- /spiːd bʌmp/
:
lomo de burro
- Now we eased over a speed bump, springs squeaking, wax job sparkling, heat whirring at my feet.
- hit a speed bump
- speed bumps in the street
- speed bumps installed
All right, driving this thing over these speed bumps, it's a little rough.
- All right, driving this thing over these speed bumps, it's a little rough.
- And they got there because there weren't any speed bumps along the way, at least so far.
- calming measures such as traffic circles and speed bumps.
Examples
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Don't go over any speed bumps.
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You seem to be having too much fun driving over speed bumps.
Blog text (8) -
I had to go to war with the city to put in a speed bump.
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Oh, you know, I, uh... I actually got those speed bumps put in on our street.
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All right, driving this thing over these speed bumps, it's a little rough.
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Levy slowed for a speed bump, his eyes straight ahead, showing no sign that he noticed the station.
Fiction book (1999) -
In Canada, raised speed bumps are a hindrance to plowing snow.
Blog text (2) -
Berkeley understands this concept, putting forced turns and speed bumps on non-arterial streets, making for pleasant streets to bike and walk.
Blog text (25) -
As I drove through the neighborhood, I slowed down for a speed bump that was placed to reduce traffic speed.
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The city installed several new speed bumps to make the residential area safer for children playing outside.
Synonyms
A temporary barrier on a road that slows vehicles and guides traffic
How Slow
- Specialized
1
9.6
7
2.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The figurative meaning 'a problem or obstacle that slows progress' follows directly from combining 'speed' (how fast something moves) with 'bump' (a raised obstruction that slows vehicles): the literal image maps clearly onto a minor impediment to progress. This road‑bump metaphor is common cross‑linguistically and follows a simple compositional/metaphorical pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Speed bump comes from the real raised hump on a road. The word bump is the small rise your car feels and speed is what it reduces, so drivers must 'slow down' when they pass it.