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
- clumpiness noun
- clumpish adjective
- clumplike adjective
- clumpy adjective
Etymology
Origin of clump
First recorded in 1580–90; akin to Dutch klompe “lump, mass,” Old English clympre “lump of metal”
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.
Farther up, he pointed out clumps of new conifers, some up to 18 feet tall.
From Los Angeles Times
When altered, IgA can leak into the bloodstream and form clumps that damage the kidneys, which is a defining feature of IgA nephropathy.
From Science Daily
"My hair was falling out in clumps," she recalls.
From BBC
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
It wasn’t the normal 100 to 150 strands everyone sheds daily; these were thick clumps of something I never imagined I could lose.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
