cod

1 of 3

noun

ˈkäd 

plural cod also cods

1

: any of various bottom-dwelling fishes (family Gadidae, the cod family) that usually occur in cold marine waters and often have barbels and three dorsal fins: such as

a

: one (Gadus morhua) of the North Atlantic that is an important food fish

b

: one (Gadus macrocephalus) of the Pacific Ocean

2

: any of various bony fishes resembling the true cods

cod

2 of 3

abbreviation (1)

codex

COD

3 of 3

abbreviation (2)

cash on delivery; collect on delivery

Examples of cod in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Dwayne Johnson is a famously big guy, one who has emptied the ocean of cod to fulfill his protein needs and whose workouts could form their own editorial verticals at various men’s magazines. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 July 2026

The stellar menu offers modern takes on indulgent dishes like ossobucco (with wheat rusk, truffle, and smoked celery-root cream), and sea bass (with avgolemono sauce, cod croquettes, and seaweed). — Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 July 2026

North Atlantic cod had supported the province for half a millennium, at one point supplying as much as 60 percent of the fish eaten in Europe. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026

Historically, a spoonful of cod liver oil was administered to treat children with rickets, a disease caused by vitamin D deficiency that results in brittle bones. — Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 29 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cod

• black cod
• cod-liver oil
• rock cod

Rhymes for cod

• awed
• baaed
• baud
• bawd
• brod
• clawed
• flawed
• fraud
• gnawed
• god
• jawed
• maud

Kids Definition

cod

noun

ˈkäd 

plural cod also cods

: a soft-finned fish of the colder parts of the North Atlantic that is a major food fish

also : any of several related fishes

Medical Definition

cod

noun

ˈkäd 

plural cod also cods

: any of various bottom-dwelling fishes (family Gadidae, the cod family) that usually occur in cold marine waters and often have barbels and three dorsal fins: as

a

: one (Gadus morhua) of the North Atlantic that is an important food fish

b

: one (Gadus macrocephalus) of the Pacific Ocean

Legal Definition

COD

abbreviation

cash on delivery, collect on delivery