stumper
stumper Lexical Profile
stumper Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A difficult, baffling, or perplexing question, problem, or riddle that is hard to answer or solve.
"The final trivia question of the evening proved to be a real stumper for all the competing teams."
A machine, tool, or worker used to extract or grind tree stumps from the ground.
"The landscaping crew brought in a heavy-duty mechanical stumper to clear the remaining roots from the lot."
British A wicketkeeper in the game of cricket, or a dismissal achieved by stumping the batter.
"The veteran stumper stood right up to the stumps to pressure the nervous batter."
• Rhymes for stumper
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the 19th century from the verb 'stump' (in the American English sense of baffling or bringing someone to a halt, originally from the literal obstacle of tree stumps in newly cleared land) plus the agentive suffix '-er'.