pumpknot
A raised lump on your head after a hard bump.
Also called pump knot, pumpknock.
Updated September 24, 2026
pumpknot pronunciation
/PUMP-not/
Meaning
A pumpknot is that goose-egg swelling that pops up after you crack your skull on a doorframe, porch swing, or somebody else's fist. Appalachian and rural Southern families use it for head bumps especially, though a hard lick elsewhere can raise one too. Old folks sometimes said a pumpknot that rose outward was better news than swelling that stayed inside.
How folks use it
- “He fell off the porch and came up with a pumpknot big as a hen egg.”
- “You keep swinging that stick and somebody's gonna get a pumpknot.”
Origin and etymology
Mountain and Southern Midland English for a knot "pumped up" by a blow. DARE and Appalachian speakers record it from the early 1900s on. Spellings wander: pump knot, pumpknock, punkknot. Exact first coinage is murky.
Frequently asked questions
Is a pumpknot only on the head?
Most of the time, yes. That is where you hear it. A big swelling from a hit somewhere else can catch the same name.