Dictionary Definition
hamper
Noun
1 a restraint that confines or restricts freedom
(especially something used to tie down or restrain a prisoner)
[syn: shackle, bond, trammel, trammels]
2 a basket usually with a cover
Verb
1 prevent the progress or free movement of; "He
was hampered in his efforts by the bad weather"; "the imperilist
nation wanted to strangle the free trade between the two small
countries" [syn: halter,
cramp, strangle]
2 put at a disadvantage; "The brace I have to
wear is hindering my movements" [syn: handicap, hinder]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Etymology 1
Contracted from “hanaper”Noun
- A large basket, usually with a cover, used for the packing and
carrying of articles; as,
- a hamper of wine
- a clothes hamper
- an oyster hamper, which contains two bushels
- a hamper of wine
Translations
A large basket, usually with a cover, used for
the packing and carrying of articles
- Finnish: kori
Verb
Translations
To put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to
ensnare; to inveigle
- Dutch: blokkeren
- Finnish: haitata, vaikeuttaa, estää
- Spanish: estorbar, obstaculizar
Noun
- A shackle; a fetter; anything which impedes.
- Articles ordinarily indispensable, but in the way at certain times.
Derived terms
- Top hamper, (Nautical): unnecessary spars and rigging kept aloft.
Translations
A shackle; a fetter; anything which impedes
- Finnish: kahle
Articles ordinarily indispensable, but in the
way at certain times
- ttbc Dutch: struikelblok? n
Extensive Definition
A hamper is a primarily British term for a
wicker basket, usually large, that is
used for the transport of items, often food.
In America, the term hamper generally refers to a
household receptacle
for dirty clothing,
regardless of its composition, i.e- "a laundry hamper".
In agricultural use, a hamper is a wide-mouthed
container of basketwork that may often be carried on the back
during the harvesting of
fruit or vegetables by hand by workers in the field. The contents
of the hamper may be decanted regularly into larger containers or a
cart, wagon or truck.
The open ventilation and the sturdiness offered
by a hamper has made it suitable for the transport of food, hence
the use of the picnic
hamper.
At one time it was common for laundry services to
leave a large basketwork container with a lid which is now commonly
referred to as a clothes hamper. The same type of container would
be used to return clean clothing, which would be put away by the
laundry service and the empty container left in place of the full
container for later pickup.
This type of daily or bi-daily hamper service was
most common with Chinese laundry services in 19th century England
and America.
Charitable hamper
There is a long tradition of community and social philanthropy and charity related to hampers, in which persons or community groups donate to needy people a hamper of food, clothing, toiletries, cleaning products, or other household necessities, to assist with their family economy.Up until the mid 20th
century, in the Western tradition, the hamper was a basket that
could be carried by the donor and physically handed to the
recipient. This limited the size of the gift to food ingredients
for at most several days, or other necessities for one to two
weeks. The basket itself was a useful item around the house or
farm, and any cloth wrapping for
the food or lining of the
basket would also be usable by the recipient family.
In more recent times, the hamper would likely be
a plastic bag or acrylic
fibre bag of a size that can be carried, with tinned or
packaged goods. A Christmas hamper
is likely to be bigger and have some party or celebratory foods, or
toys. Hampers can also contain related festive foods.
Commercial hampers
A number of companies exist that provide customers the service of purchasing a ready made food hamper or compile a custom made hamper. These companies usually link their services to certain occasions, most particularly Christmas, and provide options for payment across the year.Recently dietary hamper companies have sprung up
which provide sufferers of diseases such as diabetes or intolerances to
foods such as against gluten a selection of food which
is suitable
See also
hamper in Spanish: cesta
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
Oregon boat, anchor, bag, balk, bar, barrel, barricade, basket, bear hard upon, bilbo, bind, block, bond, bonds, bottle, box, box up, bridle, burden, burthen, camisole, can, capsule, cargo, carton, case, cask, chain, chains, charge, check, clog, collar, cramp, crate, creel, crimp, cripple, cross, cuffs, cumber, cumbrance, curb, curtail, deadweight, delay, difficulty, diminish, disadvantage, discomfit, embarrass, embarrassment, encase, enchain, encumber, encumbrance, encyst, enmesh, ensnarl, entangle, entoil, entrammel, entrap, entwine, fasten, fetter, foil, freight, frustrate, gag, gyve, gyves, halter, hamstring, handcuff, handcuffs, handicap, hinder, hobble, hobbles, hog-tie, hold up,
hopple, hopples, hurdle, impede, impediment, impedimenta, imposition, inconvenience, inhibit, interfere with,
involve, irons, jar, lade, lame, lash, leading strings, leash, lessen, lime, limit, load, lumber, make fast, manacle, moor, muzzle, net, obstruct, obstruction, onus, oppress, overburden, overload, overtax, overweight, pack, package, pannier, parcel, peg down, penalty, picket, pillory, pin down, pinion, pot, press down, press hard upon,
prevent, punnet, put in irons, reduce, reins, rest hard upon, restrain, restraint, restraints, restrict, retard, rope, rub, sack, saddle, saddle with, secure, shackle, slow, snag, snarl, stocks, straightjacket,
strait-waistcoat, straitjacket, stranglehold, strap, stumbling block, tangle, tank, tax, tether, thwart, tie, tie down, tie up, tight-fisted,
tin, toil, trammel, trammels, trouble, weigh down, weigh heavy
on, weigh on, weigh upon, weight, white elephant, yoke