clot

American  

[klot] / klɒt /

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.

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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 British  

/ klɒt /

noun

1. a soft thick lump or mass

   a clot of blood

2. informal a stupid person; fool

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verb

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

clot Scientific  

/ klŏt /

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.

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of clot

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

Example Sentences

The children moved in a clot down the hill, stomping and pushing and screaming but never straying far from each other.

From Literature

David Slater has had three stents fitted and relies on the medication daily to prevent blood clots.

From BBC

When exposed to thrombin, a substance that promotes clotting, the cells had a reduced ability to produce t-PA, a natural compound that helps break down clots.

From Science Daily

What in fact kills patients is the ferocious overreaction of their immune systems, which cause widespread blood clotting and organ failure.

From The Wall Street Journal

Earlier research has shown that shingles infections can trigger blood clot formation near the brain and heart, increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and venous thromboembolism.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• clotting
• clump
• lump