pod

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈpäd 

plural pods

1

: an elongated dry fruit that develops from one or more carpels of a flower, splits open along a seam, and contains seeds that may be attached to the wall of the pod : seedpod

especially : the pod of a plant (such as a pea or bean) of the legume family : legume sense 1a

2

a

: an anatomical pouch

b

: a grasshopper egg case

3

: a tapered and roughly cylindrical body of ore or mineral

4

: a usually protective container or housing: such as

a

: a streamlined compartment (as for fuel) under the wings or fuselage of an aircraft

b

: a compartment (as for personnel, a power unit, or an instrument) on a ship or craft

pod

2 of 6

verb

podded; podding; pods

intransitive verb

: to produce pods

The peas are podding.

pod

3 of 6

noun (2)

plural pods

1

: a number of animals (such as whales) clustered together

To me, an encounter with a pod of killer whales in its natural habitat is an experience that ranks right up there with seeing Niagara Falls for the first time …

—Joseph Kula

… a pod of 200 spinner dolphins performs aerial antics in the lagoon, turning like tops in the air.

—Jerry Camarillo Dunn Jr.

The feeding chuckle is used to simulate the sound made by a large pod of feeding ducks.

—Mike Beno

2

: a usually small group of people (such as family members, friends, coworkers, or classmates) who regularly interact closely with one another but with few or no others in order to minimize exposure and reduce the transmission of infection during an outbreak of a contagious disease : bubble entry 1 sense 7b

If you're planning to celebrate with close family or friends who aren't in your quarantine pod, there are a few ways to make sure your gathering is safe for everyone.

—Kelly Vaughan

You can … share a beer tent you built in your backyard with your pandemic pod or even have a neighborhood street party with everyone in their own front yards.

—PR Newswire

… oversaw the engineering of new processes … with … employees working in pods so if someone became ill, only that group was affected.

—Joanna Pachner

For example, students are broken up into pods throughout the day and in classrooms so if there is a COVID-19 case, it's easier for the school to contact trace and know who to keep home.

—Ryan Nickerson

Pods—a homeschooling option that puts students together in small groups as a way to share remote learning supervision and child care duties between their respective families—have caught on across the U.S. as school districts move classes online amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

—Erin Udell

pod

4 of 6

noun (3)

plural pods

1

: a bit socket in a brace

2

: a straight groove or channel in the barrel of an auger

POD

5 of 6

abbreviation

1

payable on death

2

pay on delivery

-pod

6 of 6

noun combining form

: foot : part resembling a foot

pleopod

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• armor
• capsule
• case
• casing
• cocoon
• cover
• covering
• encasement
• housing
• hull
• husk
• jacket
• sheath
• shell

Examples of pod in a Sentence

Noun (1)

a fuel pod

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Black Cardamom Seed Syrup • 750 ml (25 fl oz) Sugar Syrup (see below) • 12 black cardamom pods Using a blender, mix the sugar syrup and cardamom pods together, then leave to infuse for 2 hours. —Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Apr. 2024

Couples who pod together get divorced together. Damian and Giannina, Season 1 After a connection in the pods fostered a sweet double proposal (and a horny start in Mexico), Damian and Giannina quickly devolved into one of the most volatile couples in the bunch. —Charlotte Walsh, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2024

On this episode, Coco talks to pod regulars José Criales-Unzueta and Naomi Elizée about shooting her first Vogue cover, her style icons, and, of course, a little bit about tennis too. —Alex Jhamb Burns, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024

Four? Lauren Goode: Yeah. Michael Calore: Four Nespresso pods … Lauren Goode: A day. —Michael Calore, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2023

Then, during the pandemic and Pacheco's pregnancy, her father, Armando, also moved in to pod with them. —Erin Bried, Parents, 19 Aug. 2023

As okra pods ripen and watermelons sweetens in the sun, tomatoes turn juicy—ready for their debut in the essential Southern tomato pie. —Marian Cooper Cairns, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2023

For the best results, choose fresh okra pods no longer than 4 inches in length. —Virginia Willis, Southern Living, 12 July 2023

Add one pound of whole okra pods, and boil until the okra is tender, about 10 minutes. —Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 12 July 2023

Noun

How To Grow Magnolia Ann From Seed Magnolia Ann is a hybrid plant that does produce seed pods, however, growing it from seed does not produce a plant that’s identical to the parent plant. —Steve Bender, Southern Living, 7 May 2024

Kwame Appiah and Chelsea Griffin met and fell in love in the season 4 pods of Netflix's Love Is Blind before getting married during the finale episode. —Joelle Goldstein, Peoplemag, 6 May 2024

In instances when pure hydrogen is not an option, MTU generators running on HVO biofuel will send power to the 3,200 kW ABB pod drives. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 6 May 2024

Jordon Jones was promoted to CFO at PODS Enterprises, LLC, a moving company known for its portable pods. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 3 May 2024

Finally — during a visit to the waterfront on Seebach’s birthday on April 26 — a pod of orcas surfaced nearby, putting on a once-in-a-life-time display. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 1 May 2024

Newport Landing Whale Watching, the tour company that led the whale-watching excursion, shared a Facebook reel on Monday that showed the creature swimming with a pod of several other orcas. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 1 May 2024

Vanilla pods are harvested from a variety of orchid plants that grow in the tropics. —Ina Garten, The New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2024

In order to survive, fellow pod members might band together to drive the offending shark away from the injured individual. —Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably alteration of cod bag — more at codpiece

Noun (2)

origin unknown

Noun (3)

origin unknown

Noun combining form

Greek -podos, from pod-, pous foot — more at foot

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1678, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pod

• pod corn
• two peas in a pod

Kids Definition

pod

1 of 2 noun

ˈpäd 

1

: a fruit that is dry when ripe and then splits open to free its seeds

especially : legume sense 2

2

: any of various natural protective coverings (as a cocoon) or cases (as for grasshopper eggs)

3

: a streamlined compartment under the wings or body of an airplane used as a container (as for fuel or a jet engine)

pod

2 of 2 noun

: a number of animals (as whales) clustered together

Medical Definition

POD

abbreviation

postoperative day