clump

1 of 2

noun

ˈkləmp 

1

: a group of things clustered together

a clump of bushes

2

: a compact mass

3

: a heavy tramping sound

clumpy

ˈkləm-pē 

adjective

clump

2 of 2

verb

clumped; clumping; clumps

intransitive verb

1

: to walk or move clumsily and noisily

2

: to form clumps

transitive verb

: to arrange in or cause to form clumps

Synonyms of clump

Noun

• cluster
• batch
• bunch
• collection
• array
• grouping
• group
• assemblage

Verb

• shuffle
• stomp
• stumble
• lump
• slough

Examples of clump in a Sentence

Noun

There is a clump of bushes at the edge of the field.

I could hear the clump of his footsteps as he came down the stairs.

Verb

The virus clumps the cells together.

a child clumping around the house in her father's oversized boots

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Rings are not always uniform, and JWST might simply have cut through a denser clump. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 19 Sep. 2026

Place the potatoes on the prepared pan, breaking up any frozen clumps; add onion and bell pepper. — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026

Verb

Stir in 1 cup cold cream until mixture begins to clump together. — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2026

The different theories provide different answers for how dark matter should clump. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably from Low German klump

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1665, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for clump

• bump
• chump
• crump
• dump
• gump
• hump
• jump
• lump
• plump
• pump
• rump
• slump

Kids Definition

clump

1 of 2 noun

ˈkləmp 

1

: a group of things clustered together

a clump of bushes

2

: a cluster or lump of something

3

: a heavy tramping sound

clumpy

ˈkləm-pē 

adjective

clump

2 of 2 verb

1

: to walk or move clumsily and noisily

2

: to form or cause to form clumps

Medical Definition

clump

1 of 2 noun

ˈkləmp 

: a clustered mass of particles (as bacteria or blood cells) compare agglutination

clump

2 of 2 intransitive verb

: to form clumps

transitive verb

: to arrange in or cause to form clumps

the serum clumps the bacteria