n.
- a thin straight bar, especially of wood or metal.
- a fishing rod.
- a slender straight stick or shoot growing on or cut from a tree or bush.
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(the rod)
the use of a stick for caning or flogging.
- historical, chiefly Brit. another term for perch3 (in sense 1).
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(also square rod)
another term for perch3 (in sense 2).
- US informal a pistol or revolver.
- Anatomy one of two types of light-sensitive cell present in the retina of the eye, responsible mainly for monochrome vision in poor light. Compare with cone (in sense 3).
Phrase
- make a rod for one's own back
do something likely to cause difficulties for oneself later. - rule someone/thing with a rod of iron
control or govern someone or something very harshly.
Derivative
- rodless adj.
- rodlet n.
- rod-like adj.
Etymology
OE rodd; prob. rel. to ON rudda ‘club’.