▪ I. hamper, n.1
(ˈhæmpə(r))
Also 4–5 -ere, 6 -ier, 7 -ire: see also hanaper.
[A phonetic reduction of hanaper, by elision of middle vowel, and assimilation of np to mp, as in ampersand.]
1. A large basket or wickerwork receptacle, with a cover, generally used as a packing-case. In earlier times a case or casket generally; but from 1500 usually of wickerwork.
| 1392 Acct. in Exped. Earl Derby (Camden) 196 Pro emendacione vnius serure de j hampere. c 1425 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 659/10 Hic cophinus, hampere. 1490 [see hanaper 1]. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. 607 The mayer and aldermen yode vnto the kynge, and presented hym with an hamper of golde, and therin a thousande pounde of fayre nobles. 1528 Test. Ebor. (Surtees) V. 254 A hamper of wikers w{supt}{suph} writinges in y{supt}, jd. 1530 Palsgr. 203/1 Casket or hamper, escrayn. 1552 Huloet, Hamper for women to put in spindels or bottomes of threade. 1598 Barret Theor. Warres v. ii. 131 Baskets, hampiers, and small hand-panniers. 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 345 His mother had hidden him within a little corne flasket or twiggen hamper. 1610 Althorp MS. p. vi. in Simpkinson Washingtons, 3 hampers for the plate covered with sayle skinnes, and all of them with lockes and keyes. 1661 Pepys Diary 27 Sept., We found a hampire of millons sent to me also. 1666 Ibid. 21 Sept., A hamper of bottles of wine. 1790 Wolcott (P. Pindar) Adv. to Future Laureate Wks. 1812 II 333 Like Porters sweating underneath a hamper. 1837 Dickens Pickw. iv, Undo the hamper, Joe. Mod. Christmas hampers have taxed the resources of the Parcel Office. |
b. Of definite size or measure (U.S.): in New York, an oyster-basket holding two bushels; in Virginia, a measure of small fish holding about a bushel. (Cent. Dict.)
† 2. = hanaper 3. Obs.
| 1503–4 Act 19 Hen. VII, c. 29 Preamble, Fine and fee to your Highnesse in your hamper..to be payde. a 1577 Sir T. Smith Commw. Eng. (1609) 58 The Clarke of the Hamper is hee that doth receiue the fines due for euery Writ sealed in this Court. 1647 Haward Crown Rev. 1 Livery out of the Hamper 28. 08. 4. 1714 J. Fortescue-Aland Pref. to Fortescue's Abs. & Lim. Mon. 39 An Annuity of 180 Marks out of the Hamper. |
3. Comb., an hamper-maker. Also hamperful.
| 1411 Close Roll 12 Hen IV, (dorso), Petrus Sandhurst, hamper-maker. 1812 P. Hawker Diary (1893) I. 55, I could kill a hamperful of partridges in the neighbourhood. |
▪ II. ˈhamper, n.2
[f. hamper v.1]
† 1. Something that hampers, or prevents freedom of movement; a shackle. Obs.
| 1613–16 W. Browne Brit. Past. i. v, His shackles, shack⁓lockes, hampers, gives, and chaines His linked bolts. a 1624 Bp. M. Smith Serm. (1632) 34 If they wil needs entangle themselves with those hampers that are made against practisers against the state, who can helpe them? |
2. Naut. Things which form a necessary part of the equipment of a vessel, but are in the way at certain times. (See esp. top-hamper.)
| 1835 Marryat Jac. Faithf. xxxix, The boat..immediately filled, and turned over with us, and it was with difficulty that we could escape from the weighty hamper that was poured out of her. 1873 Dixon Two Queens I. iv. ii. 182 Their vessels..with heavy hamper and a flowing sail. |
▪ III. hamper, v.1
(ˈhæmpə(r))
[Occurs first c 1350, in northern writers; actual origin uncertain; possibly from a radical ham- (? hamm-), found in Icel. hęmja, pa. tense hamdi to restrain, hold back from roving, Ger. hemmen, MHG. hęmmen, MG. hamen to restrain, clog, hamper: see Kluge. The ending is that of a freq. or dim.; but the phonology is obscure.]
1. trans. To obstruct the free movement of (man or beast), by fastening something on, or by material obstacles or entanglements; to fasten, bind, fetter, shackle, clog; to entangle, catch (in something).
| c 1350 Will. Palerne 1115 Hampres him so harde, to sum cost þat he drawe. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. ccxxiii. 220 We be now y lodged bytwene our enemyes and yf they mowe vs hampre ther is no bote but deth. c 1537 Thersites in Hazl. Dodsley I. 395, I will hamper some of the knaves in a bridle. 1600 J. Pory tr. Leo's Africa ii. 418 They passe the nights in prisons..hampered and yoaked together like brute beasts. 1642 Milton Apol. Smect. (1851) 267 Not contented to be caught in every other gin, but he must be such a novice, as to be still hamper'd in his owne hempe. 1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 339 He caused them to be hampered with ropes, and tied together. 1749 F. Smith Voy. Disc. II. 231 At five we engaged with Ice..and were hampered in it until eleven. 1873 Davies Mount. & Mere ii. 11 The Carp were hampered in the rushes. |
† b. To restrain by confinement.
| c 1440 Bone Flor. 1175 Syr Emere..hamperde hym in hys holde. c 1470 Henry Wallace vii. 446 Mad folk with fyr hampryt in mony hauld. 1583 Stanyhurst æneis i. (Arb.) 19 Where blusterus huzing Of wynds in Prison thee great king æolus hampreth. |
c. To derange (a lock or other mechanism) so as to impede its working.
| 1804 S. Lee Life of a Lover VI. 264 (L.), I hampered the lock of the library door, so that I might be secure of interrupting those who should resort thither. 1860 W. Collins Wom. White iii. x. 405 He has hampered the lock. |
2. fig. and gen. To impede or obstruct in action; † a. to restrain, fetter (obs.); b. to entangle, encumber, or embarrass, with obstacles or difficulties. (Now the common use.)
| c 1350 Will. Palerne 441 Þat barne, For wham myn hert is so hampered. Ibid. 668 So loue now me hampris. ? a 1366 Chaucer Rom. Rose 1493 That proude hertid Narcisus..Myght on a day ben hampred so For love. c 1485 Digby Myst. (1882) iii. 722, I am hampord with hate! 1548 Udall Erasm. Par. Luke xxiv. (R.), To snibbe and hamper the hardenesse of herte that reigned in the people. 1612 Proc. Virginia 24 in Capt. Smith's Wks. (Arb.) 106 He so hampered their insolencies that they brought the 2 prisoners. 1654 Trapp Comm. Ps. xxxiv. 13 The Tongue is an unruly member, and can hardly be hampered. 1775 Sheridan Duenna i. iv, If I could hamper him with this girl. 1812 Wellington Let. to Earl of Liverpool 27 Mar. in Gurw. Desp. IX. 14, I believe no officer at the head of an army was ever so hampered. 1846 Ruskin Mod. Paint. (1848) I. i. ii. iii. §5. 41, I do not mean to hamper myself with any fine-spun theory. 1878 R. B. Smith Carthage 296 The duty of protecting her had often seriously hampered his movements. 1891 Freeman Sk. fr. French Trav. 117 The builder was hampered by the existence of aisles. |
3. To tie up together, pack up; to put together into one bundle or parcel. (Cf. also hamper v.3 2.)
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 1284 Þe golde of þe gazafylace..Wyth alle þe vrnmentes of þat hous, he hamppred togeder. 1890 Boldrewood Col. Reformer (1891) 198 The unconsidered trifles counted, priced, or hampered up together. |
† 4. fig. (with up) To fasten up, make fast. Obs.
| c 1590 Greene Fr. Bacon vi. 136 To avoid ensuing jars Ile hamper vp the match, Ile..wed you here. |
Hence ˈhampering vbl. n. and ppl. a.; also ˈhamperer, one who or that which hampers.
| 1812 L. Hunt in Examiner 21 Sept. 595/1 Fresh hamperings..with a new ally. a 1837 in Lockhart Scott xli. (1839) V. 352 note, Tis a sad hamperer of genius. 1861 Wilson & Geikie Mem. E. Forbes ii. 40 No hampering pecuniary restrictions were laid upon him in his early days. |
▪ IV. ˈhamper, v.2 Obs. exc. dial.
[Derivation obscure.]
To strike, beat. (trans. and intr.)
| a 1529 Skelton Ware the Hauke 325 Masyd, wytles, merry smyth, Hampar with your hammer, upon thy styth. c 1590 Greene Fr. Bacon vii. 118 Out with your blades And hamper these jades. 1828 Craven Dial., Hamper, to beat. 1847–78 Halliwell, Hamper, to beat. North. |
▪ V. ˈhamper, v.3
[f. hamper n.1: cf. the following passage in which there is a word-play on the n.:
1603 Dekker Grissil (Shaks. Soc.) 6 I'll hamper somebody if I die, because I am a basket-maker.]
1. trans. To load with hampers; to present with a hamper (humorous).
| 1725 Bailey Erasm. Colloq. (1877) 325 (D.) One ass will carry at least three thousand such books, and I am persuaded you would be able to carry as many yourself, if you were well hampered. 1838 Brenton Life E. St. Vincent ii. ix. 155 It was a common expression with the receiving clerks in the dock yards, to say that ‘they had not been hampered’, as a reason for refusing to receive inferior articles into store..The ‘hampering’ meant a bribe in the shape of a hamper of wine [etc]. 1894 Westm. Gaz. 13 Dec. 3/3 There is something particularly charming in being ‘hampered’ at Christmas-time. |
2. To pack in a hamper. (Cf. also hamper v.1 3.)
| 1775 Ash, Hamper..to put up in a hamper. 1846 in Worcester. |