Standard Lemma guide

clod

noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /klɒd/
  • General-American: /klɑd/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɒd

1

noun

Meaning 1

A lump of something, especially earth or clay.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1600, Edward Fairfax (translator), originally published in 1581 by Torquato Tasso, Jerusalem Delivered clods of blood

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The ground; the earth; a spot of earth or turf.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A stupid person, a dolt, a clodpate, a clodhopper.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Part of a shoulder of beef, or of the neck piece near the shoulder.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To pelt with clods.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To throw violently; to hurl.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Scotland, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To collect into clods, or into a thick mass; to coagulate; to clot.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

a compact mass

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a ball of mud caught him on the shoulder

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ball, glob, lump, clump, chunk

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: agglomeration

Narrower terms: clot, coagulum, gob, clew

9

noun

Meaning 9

an awkward stupid person

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lout, stumblebum, goon, oaf, lubber, lummox, lump, gawk

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: clumsy person

History

Etymology

From Middle English clod, a late by-form of clot, from Old English clot, from Proto-West Germanic *klott (“mass, ball, clump”). Compare clot and cloud; cognate to kloot (“clod”). Alternatively, Middle English clod may derive from Old English *clod (found in Old English clodhamer (“a kind of thrush”) and Clodhangra (a placename)), from Proto-West Germanic *kloddō (“lump, clod”), from *gel- (“to ball up, become lumpy”), related to West Frisian klodde (“clod, lump”), Dutch klodde (“lump, blob”).

Across languages

Translations

68 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bengali: ঢিল (ḍhil) — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Bulgarian: буца (buca) — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Catalan: gleva — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Catalan: terròs — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Czech: hrouda — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Dutch: klomp — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Dutch: kluit — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Dutch: klont — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Esperanto: bulo — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Finnish: paakku — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • French: motte — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Galician: terrón — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Galician: toutizo — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • German: Klumpen — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • German: Erdklumpen — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Ancient Greek: βῶλος (bôlos) — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Ancient Greek: βῶλαξ (bôlax) — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Hebrew: רֶגֶב — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Ingrian: koma — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Italian: zolla — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Italian: gleba — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Italian: piota — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Latin: glaeba — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Māori: paioneone — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Māori: pōkurukuru — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Māori: peipei — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Māori: poikurukuru — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Māori: pokuru — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Middle English: clod — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Middle English: clot — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Persian: کلوخ (kolux) — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Polish: grudka — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Portuguese: torrão — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Romanian: bulgăre — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Russian: ком (kom) — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Russian: глы́ба (glýba) — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Scottish Gaelic: fòid — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Slovak: hruda — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Spanish: grumo — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Spanish: terrón — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Spanish: gleba — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Swedish: klump — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Swedish: jordklump — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Swedish: koka — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Swedish: jordkoka — lump of something, especially of earth or clay
  • Bulgarian: земя (zemja) — ground, a spot of earth or turf
  • Finnish: maa — ground, a spot of earth or turf
  • Finnish: tanner — ground, a spot of earth or turf
  • Bulgarian: глупак (glupak) — stupid person
  • Czech: blb — stupid person
  • Czech: hňup — stupid person
  • Finnish: nuija — stupid person
  • French: cruche — stupid person
  • French: andouille — stupid person
  • German: Trottel — stupid person
  • Hebrew: טמבל (t'embel) — stupid person
  • Irish: daba — stupid person
  • Italian: tonta — stupid person
  • Italian: tonto — stupid person
  • Russian: о́лух (ólux) — stupid person
  • Russian: дура́к (durák) — stupid person
  • Russian: ду́рень (dúrenʹ) — stupid person
  • Russian: глупе́ц (glupéc) — stupid person
  • Slovak: trdlo — stupid person
  • Spanish: tonta — stupid person
  • Spanish: tonto — stupid person
  • Bulgarian: плешка (pleška) — part of a shoulder or neck of beef
  • Portuguese: cachaço — part of a shoulder or neck of beef