tamp

Definition

To plug up with clay, earth, dry sand, sod, or other material, as a hole bored in a rock.

Etymology

Probably a back-formation from tampin (misinterpreted as tamping), a variant of tampion.

Example Sentences

• "Tamp earth so as to make a smooth place."
• "Typically for the 'get-on-with-it' era, the railway and military worked like demons to restore the vital rail link. The crater was rapidly filled in and the earth tamped solid, the wreckage was removed by breakdown trains, new rails and sleepers were rushed forward by willing hands, and US Army bulldozers piled in. By 2020 on the same day, both tracks were open for traffic again where there had been a gaping pit just hours before."

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