clot
Americannoun
-
clots
plural
-
a mass or lump.
-
a semisolid mass, as of coagulated blood.
-
a small compact group of individuals.
a clot of sightseers massed at the entrance.
-
British Informal. blockhead, dolt, clod.
verb (used without object)
-
clots,
present (3rd person singular)
-
clotted,
past participle, past
-
clotting
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
clots,
present (3rd person singular)
-
clotted,
past participle, past
-
clotting
present participle
-
to cause to clot.
-
to cover with clots.
Carefully aimed snowballs clotted the house.
-
to cause to become blocked or obscured.
to clot the book's narrative with too many characters.
noun
-
a soft thick lump or mass
a clot of blood
-
informal a stupid person; fool
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
clotsimple
-
clotssimple
-
have clottedperfect
-
has clottedperfect
-
am clottingprogressive
-
are clottingprogressive
-
is clottingprogressive
-
have been clottingperfect progressive
-
has been clottingperfect progressive
Past
-
clottedsimple
-
had clottedperfect
-
was clottingprogressive
-
were clottingprogressive
-
had been clottingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of clot
before 1000; Middle English; Old English clott lump; cognate with Middle Dutch klotte, German Klotz block, log ( cf. klutz)
Explanation
A clot is a mass of coagulated blood. It's your body's way of repairing itself, stopping blood from flowing and beginning to heal a wound. You can use the noun clot for any liquid that forms a solid lump or mass, though it's usually a medical term specifically related to blood. Some clots are useful, like the ones that form on skin that's been cut, while others — like those that occur inside blood vessels — can be harmful. Clot can also be a verb, meaning to clog or coagulate. The root is the German word Klotz, which means "lump or block."
Vocabulary lists containing clot
Long Way Down
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Half a World Away
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Death of a Naturalist" by Seamus Heaney
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
She suffered repeated seizures, was diagnosed with a potentially fatal blood clot, and experienced wild swings in blood pressure.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
These strokes occur when a blood clot blocks blood flow to part of the brain.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
But across the country, families — first in smatterings, now in droves — are declining the single, inexpensive injection given at birth to newborns to help their blood clot.
From Salon ● May 7, 2026
She was treated for a rare type of blood clot linked to the vaccine and said she still suffers from health problems, including damaged lungs, joint pain and nerve damage.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
Musoke’s blood vessels would not stop oozing—his blood would not clot.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
Lowrimore visited three different hospitals across both states over the following week as she began passing blood clots and the pain intensified, radiating up the left side of her body, according to the lawsuit.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
They can play a role in ischemic strokes, which occur when blood clots interrupt blood flow, as well as hemorrhagic strokes.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
Experts later determined she suffered from severe anemia; blood clots in both wings and one kidney; liver and lung abnormalities; and inadequate bone marrow response.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Others had suffered blood clots, heart issues, anxiety and depression, the Department of Justice confirmed.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
This is known as pavementing, because the clots fit together in a mosaic.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
Expect it also to bust through the clotted mindset of Europe’s policymakers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Still, around the globe, other routes to citizenship are becoming more clotted.
From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026
High-fat creams generally contain 30-40% fat and include whipping cream, double cream and clotted cream.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 21, 2025
At The Wingfield Restaurant, tennis lovers can feast on a three-course menu with options like gin-cured Loch Duart salmon, venison Wellington and a clotted cream summer pudding.
From Salon ● Nov. 29, 2025
The sound was ragged and clotted up, but even so he knew the voice.
From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
It also injects a bit of saliva, which contains anticoagulants to prevent the host’s blood from clotting as the mosquito feeds.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
Pulmonary embolism and hereditary coagulopathy — an arterial blockage in the lungs and issues with blood clotting either too much or too little — contributed to his death, People said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026
Researchers led by Flinders University, working with international collaborators, have uncovered how a rare blood clotting condition can develop after certain COVID19 adenovirus-based vaccines or even after a natural adenovirus infection.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 10, 2026
Revenue tied to Eliquis, a blood thinner that reduces the risk of clotting and stroke, also increased 8% .
From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026
It is now known that a limulus clotting system, perhaps ancestral to ours, is centrally involved in the reaction.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
