ENGLISH
REFERENCE

pod

n.
US //pɑːd// UK //pɒd//
  1. 1 seed case of a plant (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Botany

    a long, thin case that holds the seeds of a plant such as a pea or bean.

    the elongated seed vessel of a leguminous plant, which dries and splits open when ripe to release its seeds.

    Example

    The peas grew inside a bright green pod.

    Example

    As the beans ripened, each pod dried and split along its seam, scattering the seeds across the soil.
  2. 2 group of whales or dolphins (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Zoology

    a small group of whales, dolphins, or seals that swim together.

    a social group of marine mammals such as whales or dolphins that travel, hunt, and communicate together.

    Example

    A pod of dolphins followed the boat.

    Example

    Marine biologists tracked the pod of orcas for weeks as it migrated along the coastline.
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  1. 3 detachable compartment (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a small, separate part of a vehicle or structure, often one that can come away from the main body.

    a detachable or self-contained compartment or capsule, such as an escape pod or one of the passenger capsules on an observation wheel.

    Example

    The astronauts climbed into the escape pod.

    Example

    Each glass pod on the observation wheel turns slowly enough for passengers to photograph the whole skyline.
  2. 4 small container or unit (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technology

    a small sealed container for a single use, or a small self-contained unit in technology.

    a small single-use container (as of coffee or detergent) and, by extension, a self-contained technical unit such as a Kubernetes pod that groups one or more containers sharing storage and network.

    Example

    She dropped a coffee pod into the machine.

    Example

    In Kubernetes, a pod bundles one or more containers so they share storage, a network address, and a lifecycle.
Origin

The "seed case" sense is recorded from the 1680s and is of uncertain origin, possibly a back-formation from the earlier podware ("seed of legumes"). The use of pod for a small group of whales or dolphins appeared in the early nineteenth century, also of unknown origin. The "detachable compartment" and single-use-container senses are twentieth-century extensions.

Usage

When referring to animals, it is a collective noun specifically used for marine mammals.

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