noun
clod
KLAHD/klɑːd/
A lump of compacted earth.
Tiny roots stick out of this dark, irregular clod of soil.
Etymology
The old “lump of earth” meaning became an insulting image for a person: a mere lump of earth. From that comparison developed the sense “blockhead” or “dolt.”
In context
picked up a thing that looked like a clod of earth, and bit down
More examples
- She breaks up the hard clods before planting seeds.
- A damp clod sticks to the bottom of my boot.
- The shovel lifts a clod of clay from the trench.
Forms
clod · clods