camp

KAMP/kæmp/

Pluralcamps

Verbcamps, camping, camped

22 meanings of camp

Practice

1
temporary sheltersnouncountable or uncountable
A place with tents or simple huts where people stay for a short time, often outdoors.
Like a home you build outdoors for a few nights.
We set up our camp near the lake before nightfall.
The hikers reached their camp just as the rain began.
UsageSay set up camp and back at camp, with no article.
Similarencampment, campsite
2
nouncountable or uncountable
A planned program where people, often children, spend time on an activity, sometimes staying overnight in tents.
Like a club that meets for days at a time so everyone can learn or play together.
Every summer she runs a camp for young swimmers.
The science camp filled up within a week.
UsageSay go to camp, with no article.
Similarretreat, course, program, workshop
3
verbintransitive
To stay somewhere in a tent or simple shelter for a short time, as on a trip.
Like sleeping outside in a tent instead of at home.
We camp by the river every summer.
They camped in the woods for three nights.
UsageSay go camping.
Similarbivouac
4
mass detentionnouncountable or uncountable
A guarded place where people such as prisoners of war are kept, often in hard conditions.
Thousands were sent to the camp and never came home.
Survivors of the camp testified about the forced labor.
UsageOften prison camp or labor camp.
Similargulag
Note
5
military basenouncountable or uncountable
A place where soldiers live, train, and are based.
Like a home base where an army lives and gets ready.
The recruits arrived at the camp for basic training.
Soldiers returned to camp after the long exercise.
Similarbase, barracks, garrison, post, station
6
sidenouncountable or uncountable
A group of people who share the same strong beliefs or take the same side.
Like two teams that each believe different things.
The two camps could not agree on anything.
She belongs to the camp that wants change right now.
UsageSay in the other camp.
Similarfaction, side, wing, bloc, group
7
nounslangcountable or uncountable
A prison, or a place where prisoners are kept.
Lantana is a sweet camp. It's an old hospital that has been converted to a drug treatment center for prisoners.
2009, Nick Chandler, Jeanette BillingsHere, camp means a prison.
Similarprison, jail, pen, joint, slammer
Note
8
everyone therenouncountable or uncountable
All the people who are staying together at one camp.
Like a whole team that travels and stays together as one group.
The whole camp cheered when the soldiers came home.
The whole camp woke up when the thunder started.
Similartroops, ranks
Note

Less common meanings

9
over-the-top stylenoununcountable
A loud, over-the-top style, or a way of enjoying such things, whether the excess was meant or not.
Like dressing up so over-the-top that it turns funny on purpose.
The show's costumes were pure camp.
He loves the camp of old horror movies.
UsageSaid as high camp or pure camp.
Similarkitsch, theatricality, artifice
Oppositerestraint, subtlety, understatement
Note
10
adjective
Done in a way that is over-the-top and tasteless on purpose, almost making fun of itself.
Like a joke that works because it is so bad on purpose.
The party decorations were gloriously camp.
The film's fake blood and silly lines are camp, and the director knows it.
Similarkitschy, cheesy, hammy, tacky, over-the-top
Oppositetasteful, understated, subtle
Note
11
adjective
Acting in a very showy, dramatic way, often in a style seen as overly feminine.
Like an actor who waves their arms and shouts to make every moment huge.
Her camp acting filled the whole stage.
The host was very camp, waving his hands and calling everyone darling.
Similarflamboyant, theatrical, showy
Oppositeunderstated, restrained
12
lie in waitverbintransitive
In video games, to wait in one place to catch other players, rather than moving around.
Like waiting by the door so you catch whoever comes in.
In shooting games, some players camp in a tower instead of moving around.
He just camps in one corner for the whole match.
UsageOften with a place: camp in a corner, camp on high ground.
Note
13
put on a showverbintransitive
To act in a very showy, over-the-top way on purpose.
Like hamming it up so everyone can see you are putting on a show.
He loves to camp for the camera.
The comedian camped it up, fluttering his eyelashes at the crowd.
UsageOften camp it up.
Similarham, overact, mince, emote
Note
14
verbobsoletetransitive
To give someone a place to rest or sleep.
Had our great palace the capacity / To camp this host, we all would sup together.
c. 1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”Here, camp means give a place to stay and rest.
Similarlodge, house, accommodate, shelter, quarter
Note
15
nounrarecountable or uncountableabbreviationclipping
Short for campus: the grounds and buildings of a school or university.
Note
16
colonial outpostnounhistoricalIndiacountable or uncountable
Any place where a colonist stayed while away from their main home, or all those places together.
Then the Rains came, when no one could go into camp, and the Narkarra Road was washed away by the Kasun River, and in the cup-like pastures of Kashima the cattle waded knee-deep.
1889, Rudyard Kipling, “A Wayside Comedy”Here, camp means places people stayed while away from home.
Similaroutstation
Note
17
nounobsoletecountable or uncountable
An army, or a large group of soldiers.
My Campe is like to Iulius Cæſars Hoſte, That neuer fought but had the victorie:
c. 1587, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. The First PartHere, camp means an army.
Note
18
nounobsoletecountable or uncountable
A fight or battle.
Note
19
verbobsoleteintransitive
To fight or compete against other people.
Note
20
verbobsoleteintransitive
To argue or quarrel with someone.
Note
21
noun
An online game where players compete, often set up like a TV contest show.
22
nounFalkland Islands
In the Falkland Islands, the countryside outside the capital, Stanley.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of camp apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–8, 12, 14–20

From Old English camp meaning "battle" or "open field," which came from Latin campus meaning "open field." Later, around 1520, it was reinforced by a French word for the place where an army stays.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

Camp derives from Old English camp, meaning battle or open field. en.wiktionary.org
Old English camp ultimately derives from Latin campus. en.wiktionary.org
Latin campus means open field. en.wiktionary.org
A French word for temporary military accommodation reinforced camp around 1520. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 9–11, 13

No one knows for sure where it comes from. It may come from the French word camper, which means "to put oneself in a pose." It is also thought to come from Polari.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

The origin is uncertain. en.wiktionary.org
French camper, meaning to put oneself in a pose, is a proposed origin. fr.wiktionary.org
A Polari origin is proposed. en.wiktionary.org