Hamper

//ˈhæm.pɚ// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A large basket, usually with a cover, used for the packing and carrying of articles or small animals.

    "a hamper of wine"

  2. 2
    A shackle; a fetter; anything which impedes.
  3. 3
    a basket usually with a cover wordnet
  4. 4
    A wicker or plastic basket specifically for holding laundry (from clothes hamper). US
  5. 5
    Articles 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."

Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    a restraint that confines or restricts freedom (especially something used to tie down or restrain a prisoner) wordnet
  2. 7
    A gift basket. UK
Verb
  1. 1
    To put into a hamper. transitive

    "Competition pigeons are hampered for the truck trip to the point of release where the race back starts."

  2. 2
    To put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle. transitive

    "Near-synonym: hobble"

  3. 3
    prevent the progress or free movement of wordnet
  4. 4
    To impede in motion or progress.

    "Engend'ring heats, these one by one unbind, Stretch their small tubes, and hamper'd nerves unwind."

  5. 5
    put at a disadvantage wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
cramphandicaphandicaphindershackleanchor

Example

More examples

"A well-used creel might better not be picked as a picnic hamper."

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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.

Related phrases

top-hamper

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.