Etymology From Middle English clod, a late by-form of clot, from Old English clot, from Proto-West Germanic *klott (“mass, ball, clump”). Compare clot and cloud; cognate to kloot (“clod”). Alternatively, Middle English clod may derive from Old English *clod (found in Old English clodhamer (“a kind of thrush”) and Clodhangra (a placename)), from Proto-West Germanic *kloddō (“lump, clod”), from *gel- (“to ball up, become lumpy”), related to West Frisian klodde (“clod, lump”), Dutch klodde (“lump, blob”).
1
A lump of something, especially earth or clay.
clods of iron and brass1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
1600, Edward Fairfax (translator), originally published in 1581 by Torquato Tasso, Jerusalem Delivered clods of blood
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The earth that casteth up from the plough a great clod, is not so good as that which casteth up a smaller clod.1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:
As for yon clod of clay, we will bury it later, lest it should pollute so goodly a pool.1903, Warwick Deeping, Uther and Igraine:
One of the clods took it back of the ear, and it used language. It gave me a thrill, for it was the first time I had ever heard speech, except my own.1906, Mark Twain, Eve's Diary:
"What a bunch of hooey," I said under my breath, tossing a dirt clod over my shoulder against the locked-up garden shed.2010, Clare Vanderpool, Moon Over Manifest:
2
The ground; the earth; a spot of earth or turf.
the clod where once their sultan's horse hath trod1723, Jonathan Swift, Pethox the Great:
3
A stupid person, a dolt, a clodpate, a clodhopper.
The vulgar, a scarce animated clod1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1676, →OCLC, Act I, page 3:
'What was its number?' 'I don't know, sir.' 'You clod! Why didn't you call one of our men, whoever was nearest, and leave him to shadow the American while you followed the cab?'1906, Robert Barr, The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont:
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So here's a valentine for you, you insensitive clod!!1986 February 14, Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes:
Gerald Broflovski: You see Kyle, we humans work as a society, and in order for a society to thrive, we need gods and clods.1998, Chickenpox (episode of South Park TV series)
Peridot: Don't touch that! You clods don't know what you're doing!2015, "Jail Break" (episode of Steven Universe TV series)
4
Part of a shoulder of beef, or of the neck piece near the shoulder.
Etymology From Middle English clod, a late by-form of clot, from Old English clot, from Proto-West Germanic *klott (“mass, ball, clump”). Compare clot and cloud; cognate to kloot (“clod”). Alternatively, Middle English clod may derive from Old English *clod (found in Old English clodhamer (“a kind of thrush”) and Clodhangra (a placename)), from Proto-West Germanic *kloddō (“lump, clod”), from *gel- (“to ball up, become lumpy”), related to West Frisian klodde (“clod, lump”), Dutch klodde (“lump, blob”).
1
To pelt with clods.
"When I went there yesterday evening in the gloaming it had crept down and was trying to catch the little speckled fishes that play in the pool, and I had to clod it to make it go up the tree again and let them alone."1906, Mark Twain, Eve's Diary:
when I came out and started to hoist it to the mule's back they rushed at me and jerked my suspenders down and then they clodded me with chunks of dirt1959, Louis L'Amour, The First Fast Draw:
"So, sir, she grippit him, and clodded him like a stane from the sling ower the craigs of Warroch-head"1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and Archibald Constable and Co., […], →OCLC:
3
To collect into clods, or into a thick mass; to coagulate; to clot.
Clodded in lumps of clay.1610, Giles Fletcher, Christ's Victorie and Triumph: