clump
Americannoun
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a small, close group or cluster, especially of trees or other plants.
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a lump or mass
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a heavy, thumping step, sound, etc.
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Immunology. a cluster of agglutinated bacteria, red blood cells, etc.
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a thick extra sole on a shoe.
verb (used without object)
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Also clomp to walk heavily and clumsily.
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Immunology. to gather or be gathered into clumps; agglutinate.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a cluster, as of trees or plants
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a dull heavy tread or any similar sound
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an irregular mass
a clump of hair or earth
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an inactive mass of microorganisms, esp a mass of bacteria produced as a result of agglutination
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an extra sole on a shoe
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slang a blow
verb
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(intr) to walk or tread heavily
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to gather or be gathered into clumps, clusters, clots, etc
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to cause (bacteria, blood cells, etc) to collect together or (of bacteria, etc) to collect together
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slang (tr) to punch (someone)
Other Word Forms
- clumpiness noun
- clumpish adjective
- clumplike adjective
- clumpy adjective
Etymology
Origin of clump
First recorded in 1580–90; akin to Dutch klompe “lump, mass,” Old English clympre “lump of metal”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Those studies showed that most of the debris from such impacts would eventually clump back together into moons, but some material would be scattered inward and remain as rings.
From Science Daily
It wasn’t normal gold dug out of The Mountain in clumps and pebbles, mixed with dirt.
From Literature
She forced her gaze beyond the clumps of passengers, to the huge plate glass window on the other side of the aisle.
From Literature
She poured a mug of water from her favorite blue bottle, brushed her teeth above a clump of grass that needed the spit, and started her chores.
From Literature
She sat perched on a stool at her workbench, using a smooth stone to grind soil clumps into fine dust as she talked.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
