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

It’s offered in rod lengths from 4′ 8″ to 7′, the shorter rods are designed to cast smaller lures with ease, perfect for trout or panfish. —Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 30 May 2024

Nearby, high school volunteers helped children insert the plastic rods and loop in the strings to their creations. —Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2024

The bridge fell when two vehicles attempting to pass each other struck tension rods on the roadway. —Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 27 Mar. 2024

Fashioned from pan-African basketry techniques rendered in an industrial form with steel rods and bronze knotting, a sleek, elegant, Ife-style head is set before a ledge against a backdrop of blue sky and rolling green hills. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2024

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