Hamper
/ˈhæm.pər/noun
A container or basket used for carrying or storing things, or to hinder or obstruct.
Did you know?The verb sense of *hamper* meaning “to hinder” appears in English before the noun “basket” sense became common, and its origin is obscure enough that scholars still debate whether it came through a Scandinavian word or from older dialect forms tied to a metal fastening or shackle.
Etymological Timeline
Old English / Old Norse period
Germanic
*hampr- / *hamprō-
“A likely lost Germanic base, probably referring to something that binds, catches, or fastens”
15th Century
English
hamperen
“To obstruct, entangle, or impede”
16th Century
English
hamper
“A trap, snare, or set of restraints; later also a chain or fetter”
17th Century
English
hamper
“A large basket or case for carrying goods”
Modern English
English
hamper
“A container for laundry or food, or a thing that hinders progress”