gumption

gumption
gumptionless, adj.gumptious, adj.
/gump"sheuhn/, n. Informal.
1. initiative; aggressiveness; resourcefulness: With his gumption he'll make a success of himself.
2. courage; spunk; guts: It takes gumption to quit a high-paying job.
3. common sense; shrewdness.
[1710-20; orig. Scots]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Gumption — Gump tion, n. [OE. gom, gome, attention; akin to AS. ge[ o]mian, gyman, to regard, observe, gyme care, OS. gomean to heed, Goth. gaumjan to see, notice.] [1913 Webster] 1. Capacity; shrewdness; common sense. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster] One does not… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • gumption — 1719, originally Scottish, common sense, shrewdness, also drive, initiative, possibly connected with M.E. gome attention, heed, from O.N. gaumr heed, attention. Sense of initiative is first recorded 1812 …   Etymology dictionary

  • gumption — *sense, common sense, good sense, judgment, wisdom Analogous words: sagaciousness or sagacity, shrewdness, perspicaciousness or perspicacity, astuteness (see corresponding adjectives at SHREWD) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • gumption — [n] nerve, initiative ability, acumen, astuteness, cleverness, commonsense, discernment, enterprise, get up and go*, good sense, horse sense*, industry, judgment, perspicaciousness, perspicacity, resourcefulness, sagaciousness, sagacity, savvy,… …   New thesaurus

  • gumption — ► NOUN informal ▪ shrewd initiative and resourcefulness. ORIGIN of unknown origin …   English terms dictionary

  • gumption — [gump′shən] n. [< Scot dial. < ? ME gome, attention (< ON gaumr), with playful Latinate suffix] Informal 1. Obs. shrewdness in practical matters; common sense 2. courage and initiative; enterprise and boldness …   English World dictionary

  • gumption — n. (colloq.) courage the gumption to + inf. (will she have enough gumption to refuse?) * * * [ gʌmpʃ(ə)n] (colloq.) [ courage ] the gumption to + inf. (will she have enough gumption to refuse?) …   Combinatory dictionary

  • gumption — [[t]gʌ̱mpʃ(ə)n[/t]] 1) N UNCOUNT If someone has gumption, they are able to think what it would be sensible to do in a particular situation, and they do it. [INFORMAL] We now find that common sense, or what used to be called gumption, is a thing… …   English dictionary

  • gumption — noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1719 1. chiefly dialect common sense, horse sense 2. enterprise, initiative < lacked the gumption to try > …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • gumption — gump|tion [ˈgʌmpʃən] n [U] [Date: 1700 1800; Origin: Perhaps from gome attention (13 19 centuries), from Old Norse gaumr] the ability and determination to decide what needs to be done and to do it ▪ At least she had the gumption to phone me …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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