cample

intransitive verb

cam·​ple

ˈkampəl

-ed/-ing/-s

dialectal, England

: to speak angrily or sharply : scold, wrangle

Word History

Etymology

frequentative of obsolete camp to wrangle, fight, from Middle English campen to fight, from Old English campian, from camp war, combat; akin to Old High German kamph combat, Old Norse kapp war, contest, energy; all from a prehistoric North Germanic-West Germanic word borrowed from Latin campus field, battlefield

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!