club
Americannoun
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clubs
plural
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a heavy stick, usually thicker at one end than at the other, suitable for use as a weapon; a cudgel.
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a group of persons organized for a social, literary, athletic, political, or other purpose.
They organized a computer club.
- Synonyms:
- society, association
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the building or rooms occupied by such a group.
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an organization that offers its subscribers certain benefits, as discounts, bonuses, or interest, in return for regular purchases or payments.
a book club; a record club; a Christmas club.
- Synonyms:
- society, association
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Sports.
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a stick or bat used to drive a ball in various games, as golf.
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a nightclub, especially one in which people dance to popular music, drink, and socialize.
Last night we went to all the clubs in town.
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a black trefoil-shaped figure on a playing card.
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a card bearing such figures.
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(used with a singular or plural verb) clubs, the suit so marked.
Clubs is trump. Clubs are trump.
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Nautical.
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a short spar attached to the end of a gaff to allow the clew of a gaff topsail to extend beyond the peak of the gaff.
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a short spar attached to the truck of a mast to support the upper part of a club topsail.
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verb (used with object)
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clubs,
present (3rd person singular)
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clubbed,
past participle, past
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clubbing
present participle
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to beat with or as with a club.
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to gather or form into a clublike mass.
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to unite; combine; join together.
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to contribute as one's share toward a joint expense; make up by joint contribution (often followed by up ortogether ).
They clubbed their dollars together to buy the expensive present.
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to defray by proportional shares.
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to hold (a rifle, shotgun, etc.) by the barrel, so as to use the stock as a club.
verb (used without object)
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clubs,
present (3rd person singular)
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clubbed,
past participle, past
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clubbing
present participle
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Informal. to go to nightclubs, especially to dance, drink, and socialize.
The students at that university go clubbing every Friday night.
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to combine or join together, as for a common purpose.
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to attend a club or a club's activities.
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to gather into a mass.
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to contribute to a common fund.
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Nautical. to drift in a current with an anchor, usually rigged with a spring, dragging or dangling to reduce speed.
adjective
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of or relating to a club.
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consisting of a combination of foods offered at the price set on the menu.
They allow no substitutions on the club luncheon.
noun
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a stout stick, usually with one end thicker than the other, esp one used as a weapon
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a stick or bat used to strike the ball in various sports, esp golf See golf club
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short for Indian club
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a group or association of people with common aims or interests
a wine club
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the room, building, or facilities used by such a group
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( in combination )
clubhouse
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a building in which elected, fee-paying members go to meet, dine, read, etc
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a commercial establishment in which people can drink and dance; disco See also nightclub
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an organization, esp in a shop, set up as a means of saving
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an informal word for friendly society
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the black trefoil symbol on a playing card
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a card with one or more of these symbols or ( when pl ) the suit of cards so marked
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nautical
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a spar used for extending the clew of a gaff topsail beyond the peak of the gaff
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short for club foot
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slang pregnant
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slang away from work due to sickness, esp when receiving sickness benefit
verb
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(tr) to beat with or as if with a club
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(often foll by together) to gather or become gathered into a group
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(often foll by together) to unite or combine (resources, efforts, etc) for a common purpose
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(tr) to use (a rifle or similar firearm) as a weapon by holding the barrel and hitting with the butt
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(intr) nautical to drift in a current, reducing speed by dragging anchor
Synonym Usage
See circle.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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clubsimple
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clubssimple
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have clubbedperfect
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has clubbedperfect
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am clubbingprogressive
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are clubbingprogressive
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is clubbingprogressive
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have been clubbingperfect progressive
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has been clubbingperfect progressive
Past
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clubbedsimple
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had clubbedperfect
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was clubbingprogressive
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were clubbingprogressive
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had been clubbingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of club
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English clubbe, from Old Norse klubba; akin to clump
Explanation
A club is a group of people who share an interest, whether it's playing chess or hiding out in a tree house together. You might join a club if you love to play golf or discuss books with a friendly bunch of people. This kind of club is a formal group — another type is simply a big, heavy stick, or a long metal one used for hitting a golf ball. You can even use it as a verb: "Don't club that snake! Just move it over to the field." The root word is the Old Norse klubba, or "cudgel, club."
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.
See Examples For:
He then spent last season on loan at sister club Strasbourg, where he impressed in both the Conference League and Ligue 1.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Adam said the nightlife situation in Tonbridge - where the last club closed several years ago - was "pretty minimal".
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Right now, I really like Da Prato, which is run by this chef Elisa Da Prato, and she’s calling it a supper club.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
The club are adamant government documents fully support their case - but, Severin said, if these were already available to the Commission they may not be much use in an appeal.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
She’s already on a club volleyball team and has had her picture featured in the newspaper.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
One reason for the end of their dominance as a collective is because other clubs have closed the financial gap.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Five of the top six places have gone to clubs not in the traditional six in the past three years - the same as the previous eight years combined.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Tottenham counterpart Martin Ho says the onus is on clubs and players to ensure the product on the field is worth watching.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Others that could benefit from middle class caution are warehouse clubs such as BJs and Costco as well as off-price retailers like Ross Stores, Burlington and TJ Maxx.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Once we joined clubs, I was sure things would click back into place.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
He clubbed 30 from 20 balls before being caught at mid-wicket.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Philadelphia’s Trea Turner and Alex Bohm each clubbed singles in the fourth inning, but little came to fruition.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026
Overton clubbed 34 from 17, though a heist never seemed likely.
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026
The 1970s oil shock and stagflation clubbed the economy when she was a teen, and high interest rates thwarted home buyers in the 1980s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2025
We clubbed each other blindly with arm-long sausages.
From "Milkweed" by Jerry Spinelli
The scene where Harris approached a captured bug, rocking an ankle-length black trench coat with his blonde hair in a close crew cut, was the closest “Troopers” came to clubbing the audience in the ribs.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
It’s such a primal feeling to go clubbing, to all come together and dance to a beat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
After a period of adjustment before seeing the chair as freedom, Bethany was able to go clubbing in her final year of university and get out into the parks of Cardiff.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
Possible targets include rheumatoid arthritis, anemia and finger clubbing.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 4, 2026
Lately Sam had been showing up to my competitions late, if at all, and dressed like he was going out clubbing in Harlem in the 1920s.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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