- 1(often used in compounds) a long straight piece of wood, metal or glass see also lightning rod
- 2= fishing rod fishing with rod and line Wordfinderfishingbait, bite, dragnet, fishing, fly, hook, line, net, rod, trawl
- 3(also the rod) (old-fashioned) a stick that is used for hitting people as a punishment There used to be a saying: ‘Spare the rod and spoil the child.’
- 4 (North American English, slang) a small gun Word Originlate Old English rodd ‘slender shoot growing on or cut from a tree’, also ‘straight stick or bundle of twigs used to inflict punishment’; probably related to Old Norse rudda ‘club’.Extra examples After the accident she had an operation to put strengthening rods in her legs. He heated the end of the iron rod. The concrete is reinforced with steel rods. a fishing rod a glass fibre rod 2 or 3 mm in diameter a lightening rodIdioms
to do something that will cause problems for you in the future
a fact, an argument, etc. that is used in order to blame or punish somebody
to control a person or a group of people very severely
Check pronunciation: rod
