1
a(1)
: a straight slender stick growing on or cut from a tree or bush
(2)
: osier
(3)
: a stick or bundle of twigs used to punish
also : punishment
(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 adjective
rodlike adjective

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
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.
The steel-rod reinforcement does double duty keeping joints tight and gap free and adding stability at each corner as well as anchoring the home to the ground. Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Sep. 2025 Shoplifting became a political lighting rod, and videos of thieves smashing store windows and grabbing merchandise rocketed across the news and social media as a symbol of a breakdown across cities. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025 Baum is intrigued by the smaller rod number, pointing out that different numbers can imply different uses for the structure. Veronique Greenwood, Quanta Magazine, 8 Sep. 2025 As one wanders out into a field, rod in hand, ready for the twitch. Leila Chatti september 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rod

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)

Time Traveler
The first known use of rod was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rod.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rod. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

rod

noun
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 adjective
rodlike adjective

Medical Definition

rod

noun
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

More from Merriam-Webster on rod

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