noun

camp

KAMP

noun

A place with tents, cabins, or temporary shelters where people stay, especially outdoors.

"We pitched camp beside the river before dark."

A group activity or programme, often for children, focused on a particular skill or theme.

"She signed her daughter up for summer camp."

A deliberately exaggerated, theatrical, or self-mocking style, especially in fashion or performance.

"The musical leaned hard into camp, with glitter and over-the-top costumes."

adjective

Exaggerated, theatrical, or flamboyantly over-the-top, often knowingly so.

"His camp delivery had the whole audience laughing."

verb

To stay temporarily in a tent or outdoor shelter.

"They camped near the lake for the weekend."

How to Use Camp

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a place to stay outdoors, or (as an adjective) a deliberately theatrical, over-the-top style.

Common mistake

The outdoor "camp" and the theatrical "camp" (as in camp humour or camp fashion) are unrelated senses that just happen to share a spelling.

Common pairings

pitch camp summer camp camp it up

Word Forms

camper comparative, camped past tense, camps plural, camps singular, campest superlative

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We pitched _____ beside the river before dark.

Etymology

Origin uncertain; possibly linked to French camper ("to strike a pose") for the theatrical sense, and to Latin campus ("field") for the outdoor-shelter sense.

Synonyms

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campy campish

Antonyms

uncamp uncampy

Related Words

gaudy

Rhymes for camp

amp damp vamp lamp ramp kamp tramp stamp champ swamp cramp clamp

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