Rounded raised areas or protrusions, commonly referring to the fat deposits on camels' backs or similar rounded elevations. Can also describe obstacles or difficulties to overcome.
From Middle Low German hump or Dutch homp, meaning a lump or mass. The word entered English in the 17th century, initially describing any rounded protuberance, later becoming strongly associated with camels and metaphorically with challenges.
Camel humps are one of nature's most efficient energy storage systems - they can store up to 80 pounds of fat that's converted to water and energy when needed. The phrase 'over the hump' comes from the idea of getting past the highest, most difficult point of a challenge, like a camel crossing a hill.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.