Spanish word

bombear

Pronunciation

IPA/bombeˈaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbpump

Example

Tenemos que bombear el agua del sótano.

We have to pump the water out of the basement.

Illustration for bombear (pump)

More examples

¿Puedes bombear aire en la rueda con la bomba manual?

Can you pump air into the tire with the hand pump?

Core concept

The action of operating a pump to push fluid or air in or out.

Common phrases

  • bombear aire

    pump air

  • bombear la rueda

    pump air into the tire

Similar words

sacar: Extract something from inside a container or place, taking it out.
vaciar: Drain or take out everything from a container or space, leaving it empty.
aspirar: Suck air or liquid inward with the mouth or with equipment.
desaguar: Discharge water from a location into outlets or drains to lower it.

Definition in Spanish

Hacer funcionar un mecanismo que, por empujes repetidos, introduce, impulsa o extrae líquidos o aire.

Word origin

A verb made from bomba 'pump' plus the suffix -ear, with bomba tracing back to an imitative bomb- stem that echoed booming sounds.

Usage tips

  • Bombear also appears figuratively to mean repeatedly injecting something into a system, for example injecting money or information into a market.

Other meanings

  • pump inverb
  • pump upverb

Opposites

  • desinflardeflateverb

Related words

  • bombapumpnoun
  • bombeopumpingnoun

Word lists with this word