tumpline
noun
tump·line
ˈtəmp-ˌlīn 
: a sling formed by a strap slung over the forehead or chest and used for carrying or helping to support a pack on the back or in hauling loads
Examples of tumpline in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Enlarge / Rodger Kram, left, and James Wilson carry a log with tumplines with the Boulder Foothills in the background.
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Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 Feb. 2023
The scientists concluded that the dead represented two populations: a group of tall Brahmans from the plains of India and a company of shorter, local porters, whose skulls were marked by years of carrying heavy loads with a tumpline looped over their heads.
—Douglas Preston, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2020
The road to Catarina begins smoothly, rising from Antigua through pine forests where indigenous families carry firewood up mountain paths on their backs, with tumplines looped over their foreheads bearing the weight.
—Rachel Nolan, Harper's magazine, 10 June 2019
Phelan’s men were issued an oiled leather tumpline with two long tails.
—Pippa Biddle, The Atlantic, 18 Aug. 2017
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Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 Feb. 2023
The scientists concluded that the dead represented two populations: a group of tall Brahmans from the plains of India and a company of shorter, local porters, whose skulls were marked by years of carrying heavy loads with a tumpline looped over their heads.
—Douglas Preston, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2020
The road to Catarina begins smoothly, rising from Antigua through pine forests where indigenous families carry firewood up mountain paths on their backs, with tumplines looped over their foreheads bearing the weight.
—Rachel Nolan, Harper's magazine, 10 June 2019
Phelan’s men were issued an oiled leather tumpline with two long tails.
—Pippa Biddle, The Atlantic, 18 Aug. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Tumpline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tumpline. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tumpline
noun
tump·line
ˈtəm-ˌplīn
: a strap placed over the forehead or chest and used to support or help support a pack on the back or to haul a load
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