clump

1 of 2

noun

1
: a group of things clustered together
a clump of bushes
2
: a compact mass
3
: a heavy tramping sound
clumpy 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Hubble's image captures the glowing, ionized gas as stellar radiation produces what look like bubbles in the clouds of gas and dust, whereas Webb highlights the clumps and delicate filamentary structures of dust. ArsTechnica, 8 July 2025 Pour out a bit of suede cleaning liquid (or an acid like white vinegar) onto a dry cloth, rubbing it into the shoe’s upper to lightly dampen the affected suede and break apart particle clumps. Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 25 June 2025
Verb
Three skinny fries clumped together and dunked into your favorite condiment will always hit. Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025 Feel free to layer this buildable formula for a more dramatic finish without clumping or webbing in the process. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for clump

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of clump was circa 1586

Cite this Entry

“Clump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clump. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

clump

1 of 2 noun
1
: a group of things clustered together
a clump of bushes
2
: a cluster or lump of something
3
: a heavy tramping sound
clumpy 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
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on clump

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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