Meaning & use
a camper
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
a person who stays outdoors in a tent or shelter for recreation
Grammar: Countable noun; you can say 'a camper', 'the camper', or 'campers'.
Patterns
- a happy camper
- a group of campers
The campers pitched their tents near the lake.
As a camper, she enjoys hiking and cooking outdoors.
The campsite was full of campers in the summer.
nouncountableAmerican
a vehicle equipped for camping, such as a motor home or a trailer
Grammar: Countable noun; often used with 'drive' or 'park'.
Patterns
- drive a camper
- park a camper
They rented a camper for their road trip.
The camper has a small kitchen and a bed.
We parked the camper by the beach.
Word forms
| plural | campers |
|---|
Common combinations
- a happy camper
- After the good news, she was a happy camper.
- a camper van
- They traveled around Europe in a camper van.
- a summer camper
- The summer camper made friends at the camp.
Synonyms and how they differ
- motor home
- A large vehicle with living space; 'camper' can also mean a smaller trailer or a person.
- tent trailer
- A trailer that folds out into a tent; a type of camper.
- backpacker
- A person who travels with a backpack; not necessarily camping.
Word family
- camp verb
- To stay outdoors in a tent.
- camping noun
- The activity of staying outdoors in a tent.
- campsite noun
- A place where people camp.
Commonly confused: a camper or camper?
a camper vs camper
In British English, 'camper' usually means a person who camps; in American English, it can also mean a vehicle.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'a camper' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly uses 'camper' for a vehicle. Option 1 is wrong because a camper (vehicle) cannot cook. Option 2 is wrong because a camper (person or vehicle) does not fly. Option 3 is wrong because a camper does not swim as a vehicle, and a person camping might swim but the sentence is odd without context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a camper”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.