Stomp Is an American Variant of Stamp
To stomp is to tread heavily. It began as a regional American form and became a jazz term along the way.
To stomp is to tread heavily and noisily. It is a variant of *stamp*, recorded in American English from the 1800s, and it took an unexpected turn in music: early jazz used *stomp* in titles for a driving rhythmic piece, as in Jelly Roll Morton's *King Porter Stomp* and Duke Ellington's *Black and Tan Fantasy* era recordings. The name came from the foot-stamping the music invited. *Stomping ground* is the American form of *stamping ground*, a familiar haunt.
- To tread heavily. *Stomping upstairs.*
- A jazz piece. *King Porter Stomp.*
- Stomping ground — a familiar place. *Old stomping ground.*
- Stamp — the standard form. *Stamp your feet.*
- American English. *From the 1800s.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | stomp | Stomp. |
| Past | stomped | Stomped. |
| Noun | stomp | A stomp. |
| Variant | stamp | Stamp. |
| Compound | stomping ground | Stomping ground. |
- He stomped out of the room.Anger.
- King Porter Stomp is a jazz standard.Music.
- This was his old stomping ground.Idiom.
Jazz titles that named a style
- Stomp — a driving rhythmic piece inviting foot-stamping
- Rag — from ragged, meaning syncopated timing
- Blues — from the blue devils, meaning low spirits
- Boogie-woogie — a rolling left-hand piano pattern
- Swing — named for the rhythmic feel rather than a form
An American variant of *stamp*, Old English *stempan*, to pound or stamp.
Is stomp the same as stamp?
It is a variant. Stomp is chiefly American and slightly more forceful in tone, but the words mean the same.
Why do jazz pieces have stomp in the title?
The name marked a driving rhythmic number that invited foot-stamping from the audience.