under the pump

English - English

Definition of under the pump in English English dictionary

Under pressure

Hyphenation

un·der the pump

Turkish pronunciation

ʌndır dhi pʌmp

Synonyms

under the gun

Pronunciation

/ˈəndər ᴛʜē ˈpəmp/ /ˈʌndɜr ðiː ˈpʌmp/

Etymology

() * Possibly originated in the Construction Industry. Workers can be quite literally 'under the pump' if a concrete pour is occurring and the steel reinforcing and form-work is still being finished. The concrete pump would be reaching out above the workers, who would be completing their duties at a frantic pace. Once the concrete has been delivered, the 'pour' must occur ASAP or it may begin to set. Hence being 'under the pump' describes the situation of working at feverish pace to meet a specific deadline.