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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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clumpsimple
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clumpssimple
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have clumpedperfect
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has clumpedperfect
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am clumpingprogressive
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are clumpingprogressive
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is clumpingprogressive
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have been clumpingperfect progressive
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has been clumpingperfect progressive
Past
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clumpedsimple
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had clumpedperfect
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was clumpingprogressive
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were clumpingprogressive
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had been clumpingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of clump
First recorded in 1580–90; akin to Dutch klompe “lump, mass,” Old English clympre “lump of metal”
Explanation
A clump is a "bunch" or a "cluster." If you're a gardener, the last thing you want to see is a clump of weeds growing in the middle of your newly groomed lawn. Essentially, a clump is a grouping. You might see a clump of sheep grazing in a field or you might throw a clump of clothes into the washing machine. Clump can also mean lump, like when you find a clump of grass stuck to your shoe. As a verb, clump means "to gather," as in "a flock of birds clumped together in a tree."
Vocabulary lists containing clump
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:
To investigate the process, the researchers recreated marine snow in the laboratory using diatoms, microscopic algae that naturally clump together as they sink through the ocean.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
Nearby, a group of men sat cross-legged on the ground in a circle, shielding their eyes from errant flakes as one of them hammered chunks off a large clump of gum.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026
"It is a pretty-looking thing," he concedes, plucking fragments off a clump torn from a carpet of green moss.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
Make sure to stir the rice and milk so that the rice doesn’t clump up.
From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2026
“I don’t want them calling us forest failures in the hallway,” Cedar said, kicking at a clump of moss.
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
These abnormal clumps, known as tau tangles, are associated with cognitive decline, disrupted brain function, and the death of neurons.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
In patients with the disorder, alpha-synuclein can accumulate into clumps that interfere with normal brain function.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026
The team also discovered that protein clumps commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease, including amyloid-beta and alpha-synuclein, can trigger the S-nitrosylation of STING.
From Science Daily ● May 31, 2026
In recent weeks, clumps of ships, some of them the world’s largest tankers laden with oil and liquefied natural gas, have traversed the dangerous crossing, creating a tiny relief valve for the global economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
Tufts of goat hair floated through the air and collected under the furniture in clumps.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
If damaged proteins have already clumped together, another process becomes important.
From Science Daily ● May 27, 2026
Shortly after, as the clock ticked, Smith clumped an ugly flat kick out on the full as he looked for Roebuck on a low-percentage play.
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026
It didn’t matter if the steps were spread out over multiple sessions or clumped together in long walks, researchers told Barron’s.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2025
Unlike the previous two approvals, this new therapeutic, named donanemab, targets amyloid beta only at a later stage when it has clumped together to form plaques.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2025
She’d found him on the toilet with his head against the wall, his pants clumped around his ankles.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
This pattern points to increased particle clumping and removal as plastics travel through the atmosphere.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 12, 2026
Pairing these metal oxides with a conductive carbon network improves electron movement and prevents the particles from clumping together, which is a frequent issue in conventional base metal catalysts.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 11, 2025
There, it can alter the neuroimmune system, which in turn triggers changes implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s, including inflammation and amyloid beta and tau clumping.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2025
Antiplatelet drugs are medicines used to prevent strokes and stop platelets from clumping together.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 19, 2024
The creature came clumping into the cave and stood towering over the BFG.
From "The BFG" by Roald Dahl
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.
