tamping
tamping Lexical Profile
tamping Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The act or process of packing or ramming a material down firmly by repeated blows or pressure, such as soil, gravel, or ground coffee.
"Even tamping of the espresso grounds is essential to ensure a balanced extraction."
In mining and blasting, clay, sand, or other inert material packed into a borehole above an explosive charge to confine the force of the blast.
"The miners packed moist clay into the drilled hole as tamping before detonating the charge."
• verb
To pack or ram down a substance firmly and evenly by repeated light strokes or pressure (present participle of tamp).
"The workers spent the morning tamping the crushed stone base before laying the patio pavers."
To restrain, suppress, or keep an emotion, impulse, or reaction under control (usually followed by 'down'; present participle of tamp).
"Tamping down his frustration, the mediator calmly asked both parties to review the proposal again."
• Rhymes for tamping
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the early 19th century as a mining term for packing clay around a blasting charge, likely back-formed from 'tampion' (a wooden plug for a cannon muzzle), from Old French 'tampon'.