clump

1 of 2

noun

1
: a group of things clustered together
a clump of bushes
2
: a compact mass
3
: a heavy tramping sound
clumpy adjective

clump

2 of 2

verb

clumped; clumping; clumps

intransitive verb

1
: to walk or move clumsily and noisily
2
: to form clumps

transitive verb

: to arrange in or cause to form clumps

Examples of clump in a Sentence

Noun There is a clump of bushes at the edge of the field. I could hear the clump of his footsteps as he came down the stairs. Verb The virus clumps the cells together. a child clumping around the house in her father's oversized boots
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Golden mussel takeovers in other countries have shown that the species can grow in clumps or colonies containing as many as 80,000 to 200,000 organisms per square meter. Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024 There is a rapid onset of hair loss, causing people to lose clumps of hair, usually on the sides of the scalp. Mark Gurarie, Health, 27 Oct. 2024
Verb
Misshapen tau proteins then clump together, forming aggregates within the cell. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024 The team designed mounts that hold up to four iPhones clumped together. Ben Dowsett, WIRED, 14 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for clump 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably from Low German klump

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1665, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clump was circa 1586

Dictionary Entries Near clump

Cite this Entry

“Clump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clump. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

clump

1 of 2 noun
1
: a group of things clustered together
a clump of bushes
2
: a cluster or lump of something
3
: a heavy tramping sound
clumpy adjective

clump

2 of 2 verb
1
: to walk or move clumsily and noisily
2
: to form or cause to form clumps

Medical Definition

clump

1 of 2 noun
: a clustered mass of particles (as bacteria or blood cells) compare agglutination

clump

2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to form clumps

transitive verb

: to arrange in or cause to form clumps
the serum clumps the bacteria

More from Merriam-Webster on clump

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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