thumper
1
7.4
- noun
- /ˈθʌmpər/
- Specialized
:
compactador
- The construction crew used the thumper to compact the soil before laying down the asphalt.
Examples
-
We're setting thumpers.
-
"Hmm," Hutton looked across the underground chamber, past the waiting technicians to the gleaming new thumper, freshly built to specifications.
Fiction book (1990) -
My thumper saved his life.
-
"Alex waved to Stan Goldman, stationed by the thumper itself, who rolled his eyes in a swift prayer and then threw the master timing switch.
Fiction book (1990) -
To prepare the foundation, they operated a powerful thumper that vibrated the ground vigorously.
-
The loud noise from the thumper could be heard throughout the construction site as it worked to compress the gravel.
Synonyms
A machine with a flat plate that vibrates and makes soil, sand, or gravel firm
Compounds
How Powerful
- Specialized
1
6.8
- Specialized
1
7.4
- Specialized
- Specialized
4
8.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Thumper comes from the sound word thump which means 'a heavy hit or dull sound' plus the agent -er meaning 'one that does'. So a thumper is literally 'something that thumps'—a machine that pounds or shakes the ground to make it firm.