clump

C2+ Topic:General Vocabulary

US /klʌmp/ UK /klʌmp/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a compact cluster or mass; to walk with a heavy tread

A clump of reeds grew at the pond's edge.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a compact cluster or mass;... cluster tuft bunch mass clot wad thicket lump

Opposites

scatter

Word family

Derived forms clumpyclumping

Simplified etymology

Clump is recorded from Middle English and is related to club, whose sense “heavy stick with a thick end” comes from Old Norse clubba.

Etymology

From Middle English clompe 'lump, mass', probably from Middle Low German klumpe or Middle Dutch klompe 'clog, lump', from Proto-Germanic *klumpô.

*klumpô Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# clump

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /klʌmp/
**IPA (UK):** /klʌmp/

## Meanings
1. a compact cluster or mass; to walk with a heavy tread

## Examples
- A clump of reeds grew at the pond's edge.

## Synonyms
- cluster
- tuft
- bunch
- mass
- clot
- wad
- thicket
- lump

## Antonyms
- scatter

## Derived Forms
- clumpy
- clumping

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *klumpô

## Etymology
From Middle English clompe 'lump, mass', probably from Middle Low German klumpe or Middle Dutch klompe 'clog, lump', from Proto-Germanic *klumpô.

## AI Etymology
Clump is from Middle English clompe 'lump, mass', probably from Middle Low German klumpe or Middle Dutch klompe 'clog, lump', from Proto-Germanic *klumpô. Important recorded forms include *klumpô (Proto-Germanic). Its deeper history remains uncertain, with proposed links left as possibilities rather than a single settled derivation. The current sense covers a compact cluster or mass; to walk with a heavy tread. The wider family includes derived forms such as clumpy and clumping.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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