clump
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a small group of things that are close together, such as plants, trees, or hair.
n.a small, dense group or cluster of trees, plants, or other similar objects growing or placed closely together.
Simple“A clump of tall trees stood in the middle of the field.”
In context“The gardener decided to plant a dense clump of lavender near the gate to provide a strong fragrance for visitors.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a solid piece or lump of something, often without a clear shape.
n.an unshaped piece or mass of a substance, often formed by sticking together.
Simple“The hikers had to scrape a heavy clump of mud off their boots.”
In context“The recipe failed because the flour had formed a dry clump at the bottom of the mixing bowl.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to form into a group or a solid mass.
v.to gather or stick together into a dense group or mass; can be used with or without a direct object.
Simple“The wet snow started to clump together on the branches.”
In context“If the sauce is not stirred constantly, the cornstarch will clump and ruin the smooth texture of the gravy.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to walk with heavy, noisy steps.
v.to walk with heavy, clumsy, or noisy footfalls, often producing a dull thudding sound.
Simple“We heard him clump up the wooden stairs in his heavy work boots.”
In context“The children continued to clump around the attic, oblivious to the fact that their parents were trying to sleep in the room below.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
From Middle English clompe, from Old English clymppe, a variant of clympre (“a lump or mass of metal”), from Proto-Germanic klumpô (“mass, lump, clump; clasp”), from Proto-Indo-European glembʰ- (“lump, clamp”). Alternatively, possibly from Middle Dutch clompe or Middle Low German klumpe (compare German Klumpen). Doublet of klomp. Cognates include Danish klump (probably from Low German as well). Compare Norwegian Bokmål klump.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.