Camp has 19 different meanings across 4 categories:
Noun · Verb · Adjective · Proper Noun
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
"wherever he went in the camp the men were grumbling"
temporary lodgings in the country for travelers or vacationers
"level ground is best for parking and camp areas"
something that is considered amusing not because of its originality but because of its unoriginality
"the living room was pure camp"
shelter for persons displaced by war or political oppression or for religious beliefs
"Thousands of refugees sought safety in a makeshift camp after fleeing the civil war."
a site where care and activities are provided for children during the summer months
"city kids get to see the country at a summer camp"
An outdoor place acting as temporary accommodation in tents or other temporary structures.
"The researcher noticed that intracellular levels of cAMP spiked after adding the hormone to the cell culture."
An affected, exaggerated or intentionally tasteless style.
Initialism of cyclic AMP.
In plain English: Camp is a place where people live and sleep outdoors, usually near water.
"We set up our camp by the lake for the weekend."
Usage: As a common noun, camp refers to a temporary settlement or encampment where people live, often while working or traveling. Do not use this word to mean cyclic AMP, which is an abbreviation for a specific biological molecule.
give an artificially banal or sexual quality to
"The critic slammed the director's new film for trying to camp up a simple love story into something overly dramatic and cheesy."
To live in a tent or similar temporary accommodation.
"The family spent the weekend camping by the lake, setting up their tent under the stars every night."
In plain English: To camp means to stay overnight outside, usually by sleeping in a tent or under the stars.
"The family decided to camp by the lake for the weekend."
Usage: Use "camp" to describe living temporarily in an outdoor setting, such as a tent or cabin, usually for recreation or survival. Avoid using it to mean staying at a hotel or permanent residence unless the context specifically involves temporary lodging in a non-traditional location.
Theatrical; making exaggerated gestures.
"Her over-the-top performance was so camp that even the serious scenes felt like a comedy sketch."
In plain English: Camp describes something that is intentionally exaggerated, silly, or overly dramatic in a way that feels funny rather than serious.
"They stayed in a camp site during their vacation."
Usage: Use the adjective camp to describe something that is intentionally theatrical and flamboyant in a way that feels humorous or ridiculous rather than sincere. It often applies to fashion, behavior, or art that embraces exaggerated stereotypes for comedic effect.
A diminutive of the male given name Campbell.
"Geologists refer to the massive flood basalts in the region as CAMP, an acronym for the Central Atlantic magmatic province that formed during the breakup of Pangea."
Acronym of Central Atlantic magmatic province.
The word camp comes from the Latin campus, meaning "open field," which entered English via Old and Middle English to describe a battlefield or open space. Its ultimate origin traces back to an ancient root related to bending, though this original sense is no longer reflected in the modern definition of a temporary settlement for soldiers.