Romper

//ˈɹɒmpə// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Someone who romps or frolics.

    "For a brief spell in 1974, Polly was singing in blackface as Sarah Leone with a British reggae romper named Tony Jackson."

  2. 2
    A onesie.

    "Prompted to pose on her bed, [Tavi Gevinson] dressed in a skimpy romper, “pouting,” she recalled, “with heavily lined eyes and straightened blonde hair.”"

  3. 3
    a one-piece garment for children to wear at play; the lower part is shaped like bloomers wordnet
  4. 4
    A ship that has moved far ahead of a convoy.
  5. 5
    a person who romps or frolics wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To abduct (a victim) to a room where they are tortured and murdered; associated with the Ulster Defence Association. Ireland, historical, transitive

    "James McCartan was about to be ‘rompered’, but not before those present poured themselves drinks."

Example

More examples

"For a brief spell in 1974, Polly was singing in blackface as Sarah Leone with a British reggae romper named Tony Jackson."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From romp + -er.

Etymology 2

Ellipsis of romper suit.

Etymology 3

From romper room.

Related phrases

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