Camp Began as a Field for an Army
A camp is a place of temporary shelter. The Latin word simply meant an open field.
A camp is a place of temporary shelter, especially in tents. Latin *campus* meant simply an open field, and a Roman army's field became its camp. The same root spread widely: a university *campus* is a field, a *champion* was one who fought in the field, and *campaign* was originally a season of fighting in open country. A separate *camp*, meaning deliberately exaggerated style, is a twentieth-century word of uncertain origin.
- A temporary settlement. *A summer camp.*
- To sleep outdoors. *We camped by the river.*
- A faction. *The opposing camp.*
- Exaggerated style. *High camp.*
- Latin — *campus*, a field. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | camp | A camp. |
| Plural | camps | Camps. |
| Verb | camp | Camping. |
| Agent | camper | A camper. |
| Latin | campus | A field. |
- They set up camp at dusk.Shelter.
- He belongs to the other camp.Faction.
- Campus means field in Latin.Etymology.
The campus family
- Camp — an army in the field
- Campus — the field of a university
- Champion — one who fights in the field
- Campaign — a season of fighting in open country
- Encamp — to settle into a camp
French *camp*, from Italian *campo*, from Latin *campus*, a level field.
Are camp and campus related?
Yes. Both come from Latin campus, an open field. A university campus and an army camp are the same word.
Where does camp meaning exaggerated style come from?
It appears in the early twentieth century and its origin is uncertain, with no accepted link to the Latin word.