camp
camp Lexical Profile
camp Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A place with temporary accommodations consisting of huts, tents, or cabins, used by travelers, vacationers, or outdoor enthusiasts.
"The hikers set up camp near the mountain stream before nightfall."
An organized program or facility, typically during the summer, offering recreational, athletic, or educational activities for children and teenagers.
"She learned how to paddle a canoe and identify native trees at summer camp."
A group of people who share and support a particular doctrine, ideology, or side in a debate or competition.
"Economists on the committee were divided into two opposing camps regarding the proposed tax reform."
An aesthetic style or sensibility characterized by deliberate exaggeration, theatricality, and ironic appreciation of artifice or popular culture.
"The film critic praised the director's clever use of high camp to satirize melodramatic soap operas."
• verb
To live or lodge temporarily in a tent, cabin, or outdoor shelter, especially for recreation or during an expedition.
"We plan to camp in the national park for three nights this weekend."
To station oneself or remain in a particular spot for a prolonged period, often waiting for an event or opportunity.
"Dedicated fans began to camp outside the theater early in the morning to secure front-row tickets."
• adjective
Deliberately exaggerated, theatrical, or ostentatious in style, typically for humorous or ironic effect.
"The musical's glittering costumes and over-the-top dialogue gave the production a delightfully camp aesthetic."
• Rhymes for camp
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The physical sense of a temporary shelter entered English in the early 16th century via French from Italian 'campo' and Latin 'campus', meaning a level field used for military exercises. The theatrical sense of exaggerated, self-aware artifice emerged in early 20th-century British slang, likely derived from French 'se camper' (to strike a bold or defiant pose).