rod

noun

ˈräd 

1

a(1)

: a straight slender stick growing on or cut from a tree or bush

(2)

: osier

(3)

: a stick or bundle of twigs used to punish

also : punishment

(4)

: a shepherd's cudgel

(5)

: a pole with a line and usually a reel attached for fishing

b(1)

: a slender bar (as of wood or metal)

(2)

: a bar or staff for measuring

(3)

: scepter

also : a wand or staff carried as a badge of office (as of marshal)

2

a

: a unit of length see Weights and Measures Table

b

: a square rod

3

: any of the long rod-shaped photosensitive receptors in the retina responsive to faint light compare cone sense 3a

4

: a rod-shaped bacterium

5

slang : handgun

rodless

ˈräd-ləs 

adjective

rodlike

ˈräd-ˌlīk 

adjective

Synonyms

• bastinado
• bastinade
• bat
• baton
• billy
• billy club
• bludgeon
• cane
• club
• cudgel
• nightstick
• rung [Scottish]
• sap
• shillelagh
• shillalah
• staff
• truncheon
• waddy [Australian]

Examples of rod in a Sentence

arrested for using a rod on his dogs in violation of the state's animal cruelty laws

Recent Examples on the Web

The ferro rod is stored inside the bottom of one leg, while the other leg is capped by a carabiner. —New Atlas, 18 Feb. 2025

Breaks in long bones, like the femur in your thigh, can be relatively straightforward to repair with a rod. —Lydia Denworth, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2025

Inspecting the liquid under a microscope, Pasteur discovered dark rods — bacteria rather than yeast — in the sour vats. —Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025

The 50-year-old retired cop is thirsty and exhausted, and his attempts to spark a campfire using a ferro rod have failed miserably. —Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 13 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English rodd; akin to Old Norse rudda club

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing rod

• connecting rod
• control rod
• Cuisenaire rod
• divining rod
• dowsing rod
• fly rod
• hot rod
• leveling rod
• lightning rod
• piston rod
• rod of Aesculapius
• rod of Asclepius
• rule with a rod of iron
• spinning rod
• tie-rod
• traverse rod
• withe rod

Kids Definition

rod

noun

ˈräd 

1

a

: a straight slender stick or bar

b

: a stick or bundle of twigs used in whipping a person

c

: a pole with a line and usually a reel attached for fishing

2

a

: a unit of length see measure

b

: a square rod

3

: any of the cells in the retina that are shaped like rods and respond to dim light

4

slang : handgun

rodless

-ləs 

adjective

rodlike

-ˌlīk 

adjective

Medical Definition

rod

noun

ˈräd 

1

: a straight slender pole or bar

2

: any of the long rod-shaped photosensitive receptors in the retina responsive to faint light compare cone sense 2a

3

: a bacterium shaped like a rod