clump
Americannoun
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clumps
plural
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a small, close group or cluster, especially of trees or other plants.
-
a lump or mass
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a heavy, thumping step, sound, etc.
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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:
Without its normal interaction with microtubules, the protein can clump together and move into regions of neurons where it does not normally belong.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 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
Those studies showed that most of the debris from such impacts would eventually clump back together into moons, but some material would be scattered inward and remain as rings.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 27, 2026
Annabeth stepped away from the nearest clump of veins.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
If dark matter particles attract each other through another force, they should assemble into clumps more quickly.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026
Rather than focusing exclusively on removing protein clumps, researchers might target the interaction between a-beta and microtubules.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2026
In one study, currently under peer review, we found that clumps of imprints behave just like dark matter, an unknown substance that makes up most of the matter in the universe.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2026
The team also discovered that protein clumps commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease, including amyloid-beta and alpha-synuclein, can trigger the S-nitrosylation of STING.
From Science Daily ● May 31, 2026
She forced her gaze beyond the clumps of passengers, to the huge plate glass window on the other side of the aisle.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
As a result, the times are clumped much closer together and Shiffrin has less of a chance to distinguish herself with what she does best.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026
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
Snow clumped in frozen chunks in his fur.
From "The Honest Truth" by Dan Gemeinhart
Scientists believe dark matter began clumping together first.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 3, 2026
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 ● Dec. 11, 2025
There, it can alter the neuroimmune system, which in turn triggers changes implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s, including inflammation and amyloid beta and tau clumping.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2025
Mostly they move in loose unison: sinking, crouching, clumping; stumbling, circling, fleeing with nowhere to go.
From New York Times ● Jun. 5, 2024
They lifted their thin legs high, clumping through tall grass.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
