camp
camp
Pronunciation
Camp: /kæmp/
/k/ - voiceless velar stop
/æ/ - near-open front unrounded vowel
/m/ - bilabial nasal
/p/ - voiceless bilabial stop
Word Form Variations
Noun:
Singular: camp
Plural: camps
Verb:
Base form: camp
Third-person singular present: camps
Present participle: camping
Past tense: camped
Past participle: camped
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A temporary settlement or lodging, often consisting of tents or simple shelters, typically used by people on vacation, engaging in outdoor activities, or in a military setting.
Synonyms: campsite, encampment, bivouac, station
Antonyms: permanent residence, building, city
A group of people sharing common ideas, principles, or aims, often in opposition to another group.
Synonyms: faction, bloc, clique, party
Antonyms: individual, outsider, opposition (in a general sense)
Verb
To set up or occupy a temporary dwelling, especially a tent, for a period of time, typically for recreation or as a temporary residence.
Synonyms: bivouac, pitch (a tent), sojourn, reside temporarily
Antonyms: leave, depart, abandon, settle (permanently)
To establish oneself temporarily in a particular place, often with the intention of remaining there for a specific purpose.
Synonyms: settle, station, reside, lodge
Antonyms: move on, evacuate, vacate
Examples of Use
Books:
"As the sun dipped below the horizon, the travelers decided to make camp near a small, winding river, grateful for a respite from the day's long journey." (From a fantasy novel)
"The author's early life experiences in a refugee camp deeply influenced the themes of displacement and resilience explored in her later works." (From a literary biography)
Newspapers:
"Local authorities have established an emergency camp to provide shelter and aid to residents displaced by the recent floods." (The Daily Chronicle)
"The two political camps remain deeply divided on the proposed legislation, with little sign of compromise." (The Financial Times)
Online Publications:
"Why Summer Camp is Still a Crucial Experience for Kids" (Psychology Today online)
"Travelers share tips for finding the best remote camps for off-grid adventures." (Outdoor Explorer Magazine online)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: In the movie The Parent Trap, twin sisters separated at birth coincidentally meet at a summer camp.
Television Series: An episode of a popular survival show features contestants who must camp in a harsh wilderness environment for several days.
Video Game: Players in the popular online role-playing game can set up a temporary camp to rest, craft items, and prepare for quests.
Music Festival: "This year's music festival will feature designated camp areas for attendees who wish to stay on-site overnight." (Festival website)
General Public Discourse:
"Are you going to camp out for tickets to the concert?" (Spoken conversation between friends)
"We spent the whole weekend at the lake and just decided to camp there rather than drive back and forth." (Casual conversation)
"The debate over the new urban development project has seen both the pro-growth camp and the environmental protection camp making strong arguments." (Radio talk show discussion)
10 Quotes Using Camp
"War is a camp where we have to stay till the cold weather." (Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington)
"The way of the creative camp is to take a leap into the unknown." (Brenda Ueland)
"I went to a summer camp when I was a kid and I had a counselor who was a jazz musician." (Liza Minnelli)
"Home life is a camp where everyone is doing their best to survive." (Fred Allen)
"A man should keep his friendship in constant repair." This applies to political camp as well. (Ralph Waldo Emerson, adapted)
"In a free society, the public camp of ideas is always open for debate and discussion."
"Life is like a camp, you set up your tent, you stay for a while, and then you move on."
"Every great change has a dominant political camp driving it forward."
"You never really know a person until you've shared a campfire with them."
"The camp of justice will always triumph over the forces of oppression."
Etymology
The word "camp" has a long history, going back to the Latin word "campus," which literally meant "a flat piece of land" or "an open field." Imagine ancient Roman soldiers setting up their tents in a big, open field – that's where the idea of a military encampment comes from.
From this Latin root, the word evolved into Old French as "camp" (pronounced closer to "cahmp"), still referring to a field or a battleground.
The first known use of "camp" in English, with a meaning similar to what we use today, appeared in the early 16th century. At that time, it was primarily used to describe a military encampment, meaning a place where an army would set up temporary shelters, like tents, for soldiers to stay. So, its initial English meaning was very much tied to a military context – a temporary lodging for an army in the field.
Over time, the meaning broadened to include any kind of temporary outdoor lodging, like for recreational purposes (think camping for fun), and then later, even to describe groups of people with shared ideas, like a "political camp." But it all started with that simple idea of an "open field" where people would set up a temporary home.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Camp
Break camp: To pack up and leave a temporary camp.
Decamp from: To depart suddenly or secretly from a place, often a camp.
Camp out: To sleep outdoors, typically in a tent, or to stay somewhere temporarily.
Camp it up: To behave in an exaggerated or theatrical way, often used in relation to "camp" as an aesthetic.
Happy camper: A content and satisfied person. (Often used in the negative: "not a happy camper")
In someone's camp: To be on someone's side or to support their views.
Go to camp: To attend a summer camp or similar organized retreat.
Pitch camp: To set up a camp; to make a temporary stop.
Strike camp: (Similar to "break camp") To take down tents and prepare to leave a camp.
To join the camp: To align oneself with a particular group or viewpoint.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of camp from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
