clump
/klʌmp/ (bre, ipa) · /klʌmp/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkləmp/ (ame, mw)
clump — noun
- clumpsingular
- clumpsplural
1. a small number of things or living beings pressed close together in one spot.
a small number of things or living beings pressed close together in one spot.
Aylin planted a clump of lavender beside the kitchen steps.
a clump of + plants
Iris pulled a clump of wet hair from the shower drain.
a clump of + hair
The goats rested in a clump under the only tree in the field.
We spotted a dark clump of reeds at the river's edge.
文法句型
a clump of + plants/hair/people
in a clump
用法筆記
Usually followed by 'of' plus plants, hair, animals, or people. Unlike sense 2, this sense refers to separate things gathered close together, not one solid lump.
常見錯誤
2. a piece of material that has stuck together into one firm lump.
a piece of material that has stuck together into one firm lump.
Rohan broke a clump of dry soil with his boot.
a clump of + soil
Mei scraped clumps of dried paint from the old window frame.
clumps of + dried paint
After the storm, clumps of snow slid off the shed roof.
Sana rinsed the brush until the last clump of glue came free.
文法句型
a clump of + soil/snow/paint/glue
用法筆記
Often used for mud, soil, snow, paint, or glue that has become stuck together. Unlike sense 1, the material is treated as one compact mass rather than a small gathered group.
3. the loud sound made by slow, heavy feet hitting the ground.
the loud sound made by slow, heavy feet hitting the ground.
We heard the clump of boots in the hall after midnight.
the clump of + boots
The clump upstairs woke the baby before dawn.
Her slow clump on the stairs told us she was exhausted.
A clump echoed along the corridor as the guard approached.
- soft tread
quiet and light foot movement instead of a heavy sound
文法句型
hear the clump of + boots/feet
a clump on the stairs
用法筆記
Usually appears in narrative writing to describe the noise of heavy boots or footsteps. The focus is the sound itself, not the person walking, unlike verb sense 1.
clump — verb
- clumppresent simple I / you / we / they
- clumps3rd person singular
- clumping-ing form
- clumpedpast simple
1. to walk in a heavy, noisy way, with each step landing hard.
to walk in a heavy, noisy way, with each step landing hard.
Obi clumped across the porch in muddy football boots.
clump across + [place]
The tired soldiers clumped back to camp after midnight.
Yuna clumped down the stairs and woke everyone upstairs.
Two children clumped through the hallway carrying a box of books.
文法句型
clump + across/down/through + [place]
clump along
用法筆記
Usually followed by a direction phrase such as across, down, or through. It suggests heavy, awkward movement and often implies tiredness, annoyance, or extra weight.
2. to collect in one close patch, or to place things so they gather that way.
to collect in one close patch, or to place things so they gather that way.
By July, the seedlings had clumped together near the warm wall.
clump together
Lisa clumped the bulbs beside the gate instead of spacing them evenly.
clump + objects + beside + [place]
The sheep clumped together by the fence when the dog barked.
Workers clumped the chairs in pairs so the hall looked full.
- spread out
move or place things farther apart
- separate
keep items from gathering together
文法句型
clump together
clump + people/plants/things + together
clump + things + near/beside + [place]
用法筆記
Can be intransitive ('the seedlings clumped together') or transitive ('she clumped the bulbs near the fence'). Unlike noun senses 1 and 2, this sense describes the action of gathering rather than the result.