rod

noun

ˈräd 

1

a(1)

: a straight slender stick growing on or cut from a tree or bush

(2)

: osier

(3)

old-fashioned : a stick or bundle of twigs used to punish

also : punishment

spare the rod

(4)

: a shepherd's cudgel

(5)

: a pole with a line and usually a reel attached for fishing

b(1)

: a slender bar (as of wood or metal)

(2)

: a bar or staff for measuring

(3)

: scepter

also : a wand or staff carried as a badge of office (as of marshal)

2

a

: a unit of length see Weights and Measures Table

b

: a square rod

3

: any of the long rod-shaped photosensitive receptors in the retina responsive to faint light compare cone sense 3a

4

: a rod-shaped bacterium

5

slang : handgun

rodless

ˈräd-ləs 

adjective

rodlike

ˈräd-ˌlīk 

adjective

Synonyms of rod

• cane
• baton

Examples of rod in a Sentence

arrested for using a rod on his dogs in violation of the state's animal cruelty laws

Recent Examples on the Web

But the most likely explanation involves a few feet of water in the hull, a sounding rod found on deck (used to measure water in the hold), and one of the ship’s two pumps being out of commission. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Nov. 2026

His wife had emerged and was moving through the apartment with the room thermometer held out in front of her like a divining rod. — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026

With a bullet lodged in his left leg and a rod placed in his femur, Hardy received two consecutive carries against the Razorbacks in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Saturday. — Pj Green november 1, Kansas City Star, 1 Nov. 2026

It can be hung off the back of a door or on a shower rod to save counter space. — Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English rodd; akin to Old Norse rudda club

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing rod

• connecting rod
• control rod
• Cuisenaire rod
• divining rod
• dowsing rod
• fly rod
• hot rod
• leveling rod
• lightning rod
• piston rod
• rod of Aesculapius
• rod of Asclepius
• rule with a rod of iron
• spinning rod
• tie-rod
• traverse rod
• withe rod

Rhymes for rod

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

Kids Definition

rod

noun

ˈräd 

1

a

: a straight slender stick or bar

b

: a stick or bundle of twigs used in whipping a person

c

: a pole with a line and usually a reel attached for fishing

2

a

: a unit of length see measure

b

: a square rod

3

: any of the cells in the retina that are shaped like rods and respond to dim light

4

slang : handgun

rodless

-ləs 

adjective

rodlike

-ˌlīk 

adjective

Medical Definition

rod

noun

ˈräd 

1

: a straight slender pole or bar

2

: any of the long rod-shaped photosensitive receptors in the retina responsive to faint light compare cone sense 2a

3

: a bacterium shaped like a rod