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
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
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have been clumpingperfect progressive
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has been clumpingperfect progressive
Past
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clumpedsimple
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had clumpedperfect
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was clumpingprogressive
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were clumpingprogressive
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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:
Further experiments revealed that inactive GRK2 molecules clump together inside nerve cells.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 8, 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
Add more pasta water as needed — the sauce should lightly coat, not clump.
From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2026
At any rate, we seemed to stop at every promising clump of trees.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Amyloid plaques, sticky clumps of protein that accumulate in the brain, are like the fire.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
Marine snow is made up of tiny clumps of dead algae, microbes, and other organic material drifting through the ocean.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
Both conditions are associated with the buildup of harmful clumps formed by the proteins Tau and alpha synuclein in the brain.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026
In recent weeks, clumps of ships, some of them the world’s largest tankers laden with oil and liquefied natural gas, have traversed the dangerous crossing, creating a tiny relief valve for the global economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
I walked through thick sand and giant clumps of fly-infested seaweed to try and find a spot with enough light that I could see what I was doing.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
Shortly after, as the clock ticked, Smith clumped an ugly flat kick out on the full as he looked for Roebuck on a low-percentage play.
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 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
Some stars are spread throughout the spiral arms, but others are clumped tightly together in star clusters.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 29, 2024
The fur shapka on his head was grimy and clumped, pulled down around his ears.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
In other words, it did not specifically target the metals that drive amyloid-beta clumping.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 7, 2026
In experiments using neurons derived from human stem cells, the researchers switched off individual genes to see how each one influenced toxic tau clumping.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 3, 2026
Scientists believe dark matter began clumping together first.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 3, 2026
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
All the sorrow and bitterness I’ve felt over the last few months is clumping together into one giant fit of rage.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
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.
