Stump, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stumped p. pr. & vb. n. Stumping.]
1. To cut off a part of; to reduce to a stump; to lop.
Around the stumped top soft moss did grow. --Dr. H. More.
2. To strike, as the toes, against a stone or something fixed; to stub. [Colloq.]
3. To challenge; also, to nonplus. [Colloq.]
4. To travel over, delivering speeches for electioneering purposes; as, to stump a State, or a district. See To go on the stump, under Stump, n. [Colloq. U.S.]
5. Cricket (a) To put (a batsman) out of play by knocking off the bail, or knocking down the stumps of the wicket he is defending while he is off his allotted ground; -- sometimes with out. --T. Hughes. (b) To bowl down the stumps of, as, of a wicket.
A herd of boys with clamor bowled,
And stumped the wicket. --Tennyson.
To stump it. (a) To go afoot; hence, to run away; to escape. [Slang] --Ld. Lytton. (b) To make electioneering speeches. [Colloq. U.S.]
stumping
n : campaigning for something by making political speeches
(stump speeches)