Clump

/klʌmp/

nounBeginner📊CommonGeneral
2 meanings2 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A mass of things clustered together.

/klʌmp/

nounneutralBeginner
General

A small, compact mass or group.

There was a clump of mud on his shoe.

💡 Simply: Think of a bunch of things stuck together like a messy pile of playdough. That's a clump!

👶 For kids: A bunch of things stuck together.

More Examples

2

She noticed a clump of hair on her brush.

How It's Used

General

"A clump of trees stood on the hill."

Geology

"A clump of clay was found during the excavation."

2

To gather or stick together in a mass.

/klʌmp/

verbneutralBeginner
General

To form into a clump.

The soil clumped together after the rain.

💡 Simply: When things stick together to make a messy pile, they clump.

👶 For kids: To stick together in a bunch.

More Examples

2

The sheep clumped together for warmth.

How It's Used

General

"The clay clumped together when wet."

Tip:Imagine things CLUMPing together like magnets.

Synonyms & Antonyms

From Middle English *clumpen, of imitative origin.

The word has been used in its current sense since the Middle English period.

Memory tip

Imagine a clumsy person bumping into a group of things, creating a CLUMP.

Word Origin

LanguageMiddle English
Original meaning

"imitating the sound of something thudding together"

clump of treesclump of earthclump together

Common misspellings

clumbclumped

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written