hamper

Etymology 1

From Middle English hamper, contracted from hanaper, hanypere, from Anglo-Norman hanaper, Old French hanapier, hanepier (“case for holding a large goblet or cup”), from hanap (“goblet, drinking cup”), from Frankish *hnapp (“cup, bowl, basin”), from Proto-Germanic *hnappaz (“cup, bowl”). Cognate with Old High German hnapf (“cup, bowl, basin”) (German Napf (“bowl”)), Dutch nap (“cup”), Old English hnæpp (“bowl”). More at nap.

noun

  1. A large basket, usually with a cover, used for the packing and carrying of articles or small animals.
    a hamper of wine
    a clothes hamper
    an oyster hamper, which contains two bushels
  2. (uncommon outside New England) A wicker or plastic basket specifically for holding laundry (from clothes hamper), as opposed to a covered wicker basket which is a true hamper.
  3. (UK) A gift basket.

verb

  1. (transitive) To put into a hamper.
    Competition pigeons are hampered for the truck trip to the point of release where the race back starts.

Etymology 2

From Middle English hamperen, hampren (“to hamper, oppress”), probably of the same origin as English hamble (“to limp”), Scots hamp (“to halt in walking, stutter”), Dutch haperen (“to falter, hesitate”), German hemmen (“to stop, hinder, check”). More at hamble.

verb

  1. (transitive) To put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle.
  2. To impede in motion or progress.
    Engend'ring heats, these one by one unbind, Stretch their small tubes, and hamper'd nerves unwind. 1712, Richard Blackmore, Creation: A Philosophical Poem
    They hamper and entangle our souls. a. 1694, John Tillotson, The Advantages of Religion
    NR Senior Programme Manager Adrian Elliott describes the progress to date: "The weather has played a big part in hampering the programme. We had the wettest autumn ever and a number of winter storms to contend with, … April 8 2020, Paul Stephen, “ECML dive-under drives divergence”, in Rail, page 44

noun

  1. A shackle; a fetter; anything which impedes.
  2. (nautical) Articles ordinarily indispensable, but in the way at certain times.

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