clot

[klot]

noun

1. a mass or lump.

2. a semisolid mass, as of coagulated blood.

3. a small compact group of individuals.

   a clot of sightseers massed at the entrance.

4. British Informal.,  blockhead, dolt, clod.

verb (used without object)

clotted, clotting 

1. to form into clots; coagulate.

verb (used with object)

clotted, clotting 

1. to cause to clot.

2. to cover with clots.

   Carefully aimed snowballs clotted the house.

3. to cause to become blocked or obscured.

   to clot the book's narrative with too many characters.

clot

/ klɒt /

noun

1. a soft thick lump or mass

   a clot of blood

2. informal,  a stupid person; fool

verb

1. to form or cause to form into a soft thick lump or lumps

clot

1. A soft insoluble mass formed when blood or lymph gels. During blood clotting, white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, and various clotting factors interact in a cascade of chemical reactions initiated by a wound. When a body tissue is injured, calcium ions and platelets act on prothrombin to produce the enzyme thrombin. Thrombin then catalyzes the conversion of the protein fibrinogen into fibrin, a fibrous protein that holds the clot together. An abnormal clot inside the blood vessels or the heart (a thrombus or an embolus) can obstruct blood flow.

Other Word Forms

• declot verb
• nonclotting adjective
• unclotted adjective
• clottish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of clot¹

before 1000; Middle English; Old English clott lump; cognate with Middle Dutch klotte, German Klotz block, log ( klutz )

Word History and Origins

Origin of clot¹

Old English clott, of Germanic origin; compare Middle Dutch klotte block, lump

Example Sentences

The drug blocks Factor XIa, a protein that contributes to blood clotting, Bayer said.

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Mrs. Clarke spread a fat dollop of clotted cream on her scone.

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When applied, these components form a fibrin structure resembling the body's natural clotting and tissue repair processes.

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Serpins help regulate many processes in the body, including blood clotting and immune responses, and several members of this family appear to help keep tissue breakdown and tissue repair in balance.

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Its popularity plummeted in 2003 when the government-funded Women’s Health Initiative trial was abruptly halted because of signs it caused an increased risk of blood clots, stroke, and breast cancer.

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Related Words

• clotting www.thesaurus.com
• clump 
• lump