clump

1 of 2

noun

ˈkləmp 

1

: a group of things clustered together

a clump of bushes

2

: a compact mass

3

: a heavy tramping sound

clumpy

ˈkləm-pē 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• array
• assemblage
• band
• bank
• batch
• battery
• block
• bunch
• clot
• cluster
• clutch
• collection
• constellation
• group
• grouping
• huddle
• knot
• lot
• muster
• package
• parcel
• passel
• set
• suite

Verb

• barge
• flog [British]
• flounder
• galumph
• lumber
• lump
• plod
• pound
• scuff
• scuffle
• shamble
• shuffle
• slog
• slough
• stamp
• stomp
• stumble
• stump
• tramp
• tromp
• trudge

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

Noun

Sometimes, the first course is kind of mild — a basket of bread and a clump of butter. —Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025

Falling ice: Beware of falling ice and snow clumps from tall buildings while things melt. —Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 22 Jan. 2025

Verb

Dried-out mascara will clump and flake, but more importantly bacteria can get into the tube via the mascara wand, eventually leading to potential eye infections. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 Jan. 2025

His coat was clumped together with dirt and matting. —Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025

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

Kids Definition

clump

1 of 2 noun

ˈkləmp 

1

: a group of things clustered together

a clump of bushes

2

: a cluster or lump of something

3

: a heavy tramping sound

clumpy

ˈkləm-pē 

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

ˈkləmp 

: 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