camp









camp


< /ˈtʃɔn si, ˈtʃɑn-/, 1859–1925, U.S. football coach and author.

noun Biochemistry.

  1. cyclic AMP.

noun

  1. a place where tents, cabins, or other temporary structures are erected for the use of military troops, for training soldiers, etc
  2. the military life
  3. tents, cabins, etc, used as temporary lodgings by a group of travellers, holiday-makers, Scouts, etc
  4. the group of people living in such lodgings
  5. Southern African a field or paddock fenced off as pasture
  6. a group supporting a given doctrine or theorythe socialist camp
  7. Australian a place where sheep or cattle gather to rest
  8. (modifier) suitable for use in temporary quarters, on holiday, etc, esp by being portable and easy to set upa camp bed; a camp chair

verb

  1. (intr often foll by down) to establish or set up a camp
  2. (intr often foll by out) to live temporarily in or as if in a tent
  3. (tr) to put in a camp

adjective

  1. effeminate; affected in mannerisms, dress, etc
  2. homosexual
  3. consciously artificial, exaggerated, vulgar, or mannered; self-parodying, esp when in dubious taste

verb

  1. (tr) to perform or invest with a camp quality
  2. camp it up
    1. to seek to focus attention on oneself by making an ostentatious display, overacting, etc
    2. to flaunt one’s homosexuality

noun

  1. a camp quality, style, etc

noun

  1. Walter (Chauncey). 1859–1925, US sportsman and administrator; he introduced new rules to American football, which distinguished it from rugby.
n.

“place where an army lodges temporarily,” 1520s, from French camp, from Italian campo, from Latin campus “open field, level space” (also source of French champ; see campus), especially “open space for military exercise.”

A later reborrowing of the Latin word, which had been taken up in early West Germanic as *kampo-z and appeared originally in Old English as camp “contest, battle, fight, war.” This was obsolete by mid-15c. Transferred to non-military senses 1550s. Meaning “body of adherents of a doctrine or cause” is 1871. Camp-follower first attested 1810. Camp-meeting is from 1809, originally usually in reference to Methodists.

adj.

“tasteless,” 1909, homosexual slang, of uncertain origin, perhaps from mid-17c. French camper “to portray, pose” (as in se camper “put oneself in a bold, provocative pose”); popularized 1964 by Susan Sontag’s essay “Notes on Camp.” Campy is attested from 1959.

v.

“to encamp,” 1540s, from camp (n.). Related: Camped; camping.

abbr.

  1. cyclic AMP

In addition to the idioms beginning with camp

  • camp follower
  • camp it up
  • camp out

also see:

  • break camp
  • foot in both camps
  • happy camper
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