rod
A long, thin, straight piece of metal or wood used to hold, connect, or support things.
A long, thin, straight piece of solid material, typically metal or wood, often used as a support, tool, or component in a structure or device.
A long pole with a line for catching fish.
A long, thin, flexible pole with a fishing line attached, used for catching fish.
A special cell in the back of the eye that helps you see in low light and in black and white.
A long, cylindrical photoreceptor cell in the retina of the eye that is sensitive to low light levels and is responsible for black-and-white vision.
A thin stick used to hit someone as punishment, especially in the past.
A long, thin stick or switch used to strike a person or animal as a form of punishment, especially in older or literary contexts.
A very rude slang word for a man’s sex organ (penis).
A crude slang term for a man’s penis.
An old slang word for a gun, especially a small gun you carry.
A slang term, especially in older American usage, for a handgun carried as a weapon.
An old measure of length, about 5.03 meters (16.5 feet).
An old unit of length equal to 5.5 yards, 16.5 feet, or about 5.03 meters, used mainly in surveying and historical texts.
A special stick or staff that shows a person has power or authority, often in stories or religious texts.
A staff or scepter carried as a symbol of power, authority, or rule, especially in religious or literary contexts.
- Base: rod
- Plural: rods
fishing rod
1pole used for catching fish
A long pole with a line and hook, used to catch fish.
- He leaned his fishing rod against the pier while he tied a new hook.
- You’ll need a strong fishing rod if you want to catch big salmon.
- She forgot her fishing rod at home and had to rent one by the lake.
hot rod
1high-powered modified car
An older car that has been changed to make it very fast and powerful, often for racing or showing.
- He spent every weekend working on his hot rod in the garage.
- The car show was full of classic hot rods from the 1950s.
- They raced their hot rods down the empty highway at night.
make a rod for your own back
1create future trouble for yourself
To do something now that will make life harder for you later.
- If you always do your child’s homework for them, you’re making a rod for your own back.
- By promising to answer emails at any time, he made a rod for his own back.
- Don’t lower the price too much or you’ll make a rod for your own back in future negotiations.
rod and reel
1set of rod plus reel
A fishing rod together with the reel that holds and lets out the line.
- He packed his rod and reel in a hard case for the flight.
- Most anglers prefer a light rod and reel for river fishing.
- She bought a starter rod and reel set for her son.
rule with an iron rod
1govern very strictly and harshly
To control people in a very strict and often cruel way.
- The dictator ruled the country with an iron rod for over thirty years.
- He ruled his company with an iron rod, and no one dared question him.
- Parents who rule with an iron rod may face rebellion later.
spare the rod (and spoil the child)
1proverb about punishing children
A saying meaning that if you never punish a child, they will become badly behaved. (Now often used to talk about discipline in general.)
- Some older people still repeat the proverb "spare the rod and spoil the child."
- Modern parents often reject the idea behind "spare the rod," preferring non-physical discipline.
- The article asked whether "spare the rod" still has a place in today’s schools.
lightning rod
1metal rod for lightning protection
A metal bar on top of a building that leads lightning safely into the ground.
- The church tower is fitted with a lightning rod to protect it during storms.
- The old church has a lightning rod on its steeple.
- Engineers recommended adding a lightning rod to the new high-rise.
- Lightning rods help protect tall buildings during storms.
- The old farmhouse burned down because it didn’t have a lightning rod.