clump
Americannoun
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clumps
plural
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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.
-
a thick extra sole on a shoe.
verb (used without object)
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clumps,
present (3rd person singular)
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clumped,
past participle, past
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clumping
present participle
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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)
-
clumps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
clumped,
past participle, past
-
clumping
present participle
noun
-
a cluster, as of trees or plants
-
a dull heavy tread or any similar sound
-
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
-
(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
-
have been clumpingperfect progressive
-
has been clumpingperfect progressive
Past
-
clumpedsimple
-
had clumpedperfect
-
was clumpingprogressive
-
were clumpingprogressive
-
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:
While all these theories successfully describe the large-scale clumping scientists can measure, they disagree over how dark matter should clump on smaller scales.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 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
Add more pasta water as needed — the sauce should lightly coat, not clump.
From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2026
I’d been up and down the rows of corn and beans so often, I knew every clump of dirt.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
He’s lost weight and his hair falls out in clumps.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
So-called “dark matter” clumps around galaxies and snakes throughout space in long tendrils.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Peppercorn-sized clumps of human brain cells grown in a lab for a record seven years aged similarly to those inside our heads, suggesting they "recorded the passage of time," scientists said Wednesday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
These features are actually compact clumps of dust that have managed to withstand radiation from the stellar core.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
As I get closer and closer, my feathers begin to fall out, first one by one, and then in clumps, until I can see my bones.
From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon
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
Water quickly overwhelmed the beachside bar where she works - the Bridge Tender Inn Dockside & Tiki Bar - with waves splashing the sign and chunks of seaweed clumped near tables.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2024
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the deposition of clumped proteins in the brain and progressive neuronal cell death.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2023
She'd clumped it up into a bun and wrapped it with a rubber band.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
Satellite imagery shows thunderstorms clumping together to form Tropical Storm Isaias.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
"There are different tribes of people in every age group, but when you get older, people start clumping you together with other stereotypes," she says.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
While all these theories successfully describe the large-scale clumping scientists can measure, they disagree over how dark matter should clump on smaller scales.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Her team also observed how molecules called chelators can interfere with or even reverse this harmful clumping process.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 7, 2026
I lean away from the breeze, its saltiness gritty on my skin, clumping my hair.
From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
