rod
noun
ˈräd 
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
ˈräd-ləs
adjective rodlike
ˈräd-ˌlīk
adjective 
Synonyms
- bastinado
- bastinade
- bat
- baton
- billy
- billy club
- bludgeon
- cane
- club
- cudgel
- nightstick
- rung [Scottish]
- sap
- shillelagh
- shillalah
- staff
- truncheon
- waddy [Australian]
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
arrested for using a rod on his dogs in violation of the state's animal cruelty laws
Recent Examples on the Web There’s hardly a more important fishing item than the rod or pole itself. 
Mark Stock, Men's Health, 24 Aug. 2022 The highest rod provides hanging space for longer garments, like dresses or robes. Andrea Cooley, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2022 The valve does not seal against the shock tube but rather allows fluid to flow through a passage in the shock rod, bypassing the main piston valve. Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver, 18 Aug. 2022 When the striking rod is deployed, users can push down on it to produce high-temperature sparks. Chris Meehan, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2022 Skewer 2 regular marshmallows or 1 jumbo marshmallow onto the rod. Tanya Sichynsky, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2022 This tube is easy to clean by pulling the central rod. Lindsey M. Roberts, Washington Post, 28 July 2022 My rod was bent double, and the fish took out all the fly line—reserve line that is there for these moments—well into the backing. David Coggins, Robb Report, 27 Aug. 2022 Bring your own rod and reel or borrow one from the presenters. cleveland, 26 Aug. 2022 See More
Mark Stock, Men's Health, 24 Aug. 2022 The highest rod provides hanging space for longer garments, like dresses or robes. Andrea Cooley, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2022 The valve does not seal against the shock tube but rather allows fluid to flow through a passage in the shock rod, bypassing the main piston valve. Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver, 18 Aug. 2022 When the striking rod is deployed, users can push down on it to produce high-temperature sparks. Chris Meehan, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2022 Skewer 2 regular marshmallows or 1 jumbo marshmallow onto the rod. Tanya Sichynsky, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2022 This tube is easy to clean by pulling the central rod. Lindsey M. Roberts, Washington Post, 28 July 2022 My rod was bent double, and the fish took out all the fly line—reserve line that is there for these moments—well into the backing. David Coggins, Robb Report, 27 Aug. 2022 Bring your own rod and reel or borrow one from the presenters. cleveland, 26 Aug. 2022 See More 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
Kids Definition
rod
noun
ˈräd
1
: a light flexible pole often with line and a reel attached used in fishing
2
: a stick or bundle of twigs used in whipping a person
3
: a straight slender stick or bar
4
: a measure of length equal to 16¹/₂ feet (about 5 meters)
5
: a cell of the retina of the eye that is shaped like a rod and is sensitive to faint light
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
rods
noun
1
as in canes
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment arrested for using a rod on his dogs in violation of the state's animal cruelty laws Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- canes
- batons
- staves
- mallets
- truncheons
- nightsticks
- bats
- staffs
- maces
- clubs
- hammers
- billies
- cudgels
- bludgeons
- shillelaghs
- staves
- billy clubs
- rungs
- bastinadoes
- waddies
- bastinades
- birches
- shillalahs
- hickories
- beetles
- knobkerries
- rattans
- switches
- saps
- blackjacks
- sledgehammers
- gavels
- croziers
- mauls
- crooks
- crabsticks
- crosiers
- walking sticks
- whangees
2
as in beams
a straight piece (as of wood or metal) that is longer than it is wide a curtain rod Synonyms & Similar Words
- beams
- bars
- sticks
- boards
- billets
- strips
- girders
- slabs
- ingots
- crossbeams
- crossbars
- bands
- arbors
- blooms