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

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

Vault 31 housed cryogenic pods that Vault-Tec employees safely remained in until Vaults 32 and 33 found a successful test case for the reemergence of society. —Jordan Moreau, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024

After all, this is a region where tech companies have sleeping pods and napping rooms and free food around the clock to encourage all-hours work. —Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024

Inside the pod, a reading light and outlet allow students to work lying down or sitting up. —Ashley Ahn, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024

The driver’s gauge pod is a separate but visually complimentary screen also mounted on a polished black background, creating the illusion of an unbroken touch-sensitive expanse stretching from A-pillar to A-pillar, the entire width of the dash panel. —Mark Ewing, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

In 2016, a narwhal in the St. Lawrence River in Canada started swimming among a pod of belugas. —Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024

With 220 active shows, 72 million streams and more than 55 pods reaching No. 1 on Apple Podcasts, the studio known for such binge-worthy hits as Dr. Death and SmartLess is taking a new approach to its programming starting April 1, strategically timing the rollout of its most popular genres. —Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024

Each of the different sized pods will have a unique code that the Keurig Alta brewer will register when placed inside. —Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024

After she was dumped in the pods by Jimmy Presnell — who chose to propose to Chelsea Blackwell over her — Jess never considered rekindling things with him when his engagement ended in the finale. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 13 Mar. 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