clod

plural clods

1. A lump of something, especially earth or clay.

   1600, Edward Fairfax (translator), originally published in 1581 by Torquato Tasso, Jerusalem Delivered clods of blood

   5 more examples

   clods of iron and brass

   1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

   The earth that casteth up from the plough a great clod, is not so good as that which casteth up a smaller clod.

   1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC

   As for yon clod of clay, we will bury it later, lest it should pollute so goodly a pool.

   1903, Warwick Deeping, Uther and Igraine

   One of the clods took it back of the ear, and it used language. It gave me a thrill, for it was the first time I had ever heard speech, except my own.

   1906, Mark Twain, Eve's Diary

   "What a bunch of hooey," I said under my breath, tossing a dirt clod over my shoulder against the locked-up garden shed.

   2010, Clare Vanderpool, Moon Over Manifest

2. The ground; the earth; a spot of earth or turf.

   the clod where once their sultan's horse hath trod

   1723, Jonathan Swift, Pethox the Great

3. A stupid person, a dolt, a clodpate, a clodhopper.

   The vulgar, a scarce animated clod

   1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1676, →OCLC, Act I, page 3

   4 more examples

   'What was its number?' 'I don't know, sir.' 'You clod! Why didn't you call one of our men, whoever was nearest, and leave him to shadow the American while you followed the cab?'

   1906, Robert Barr, The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont

   So here's a valentine for you, you insensitive clod!!

   1986 February 14, Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

   Gerald Broflovski: You see Kyle, we humans work as a society, and in order for a society to thrive, we need gods and clods.

   1998, Chickenpox (episode of South Park TV series)

   Peridot: Don't touch that! You clods don't know what you're doing!

   2015, "Jail Break" (episode of Steven Universe TV series)

4. Part of a shoulder of beef, or of the neck piece near the shoulder.

present singular third person clods · participle present clodding · participle past clodded · past clodded

1. transitiveTo pelt with clods.

   when I came out and started to hoist it to the mule's back they rushed at me and jerked my suspenders down and then they clodded me with chunks of dirt

   1959, Louis L'Amour, The First Fast Draw

   1 more example

   "When I went there yesterday evening in the gloaming it had crept down and was trying to catch the little speckled fishes that play in the pool, and I had to clod it to make it go up the tree again and let them alone."

   1906, Mark Twain, Eve's Diary

2. ScotlandtransitiveTo throw violently; to hurl.

   "So, sir, she grippit him, and clodded him like a stane from the sling ower the craigs of Warroch-head"

   1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and Archibald Constable and Co., […], →OCLC

3. To collect into clods, or into a thick mass; to coagulate; to clot.

   Clodded in lumps of clay.

   1610, Giles Fletcher, Christ's Victorie and Triumph