Meaning & use
tamping
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“tamping” is a form of “tamp”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Pressing material down firmly and evenly by tapping or pushing, such as soil, coffee grounds or gravel.
Grammar: Takes an object: he is tamping the soil. Often used with down.
Patterns
- tamp something down
- tamp something into something
The barista is tamping the espresso grounds before locking in the handle.
Workers were tamping gravel along the new path.
She spent an hour tamping the soil around the young tree.
verbtransitivefigurative
Reducing the strength of something, such as anger, hope or growth, by pressing it down.
Grammar: Takes an object, usually with down: tamping down fears.
Patterns
- tamp down something
The president spent the morning tamping down rumors of a merger.
Officials are tamping down expectations about the economy.
He kept tamping his anger as he waited in line.
Word forms
| third person singular | tamps |
|---|---|
| past tense | tamped |
| past participle | tamped |
| -ing form | tamping |
Common combinations
- tamping down
- They are tamping down the earth over the pipe.
- tamping the grounds
- He is tamping the grounds with a steady hand.
- tamping soil
- Tamping soil makes the base firm.
- tamping down expectations
- The coach is tamping down expectations before the match.
- tamping tool
- The crew used a tamping tool on the road edge.
Synonyms and how they differ
- compacting
- Compacting means pressing material into a denser mass and is often done by machines, while tamping is mostly done by hand.
- packing down
- Packing down is the everyday phrase, but tamping implies a deliberate tool and a firm, even press.
- ramming
- Ramming means forcing material in with heavy blows, which is rougher than tamping.
- suppressing
- Suppressing is the abstract word for holding something back, while tamping down gives a physical image of pressing it low.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: tamping or tampering?
tamping vs tampering
Tampering means interfering with something without permission, while tamping means pressing material down.
Practice
Before pulling the espresso shot, the barista spent a moment ______ the coffee grounds.
Choose one answer.
Tamping means pressing grounds down evenly. Tampering with means interfering, which is the tempting wrong choice because it looks similar.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tamping”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.