pod

¹

[pod]

noun

1. a somewhat elongated, two-valved seed vessel, as that of the pea or bean.

2. a dehiscent fruit or pericarp having several seeds.

3. Entomology.

   1. an insect egg case.

   2. a compact mass of insect eggs.

4. a streamlined enclosure, housing, or detachable container of some kind.

   an engine pod under the wing of an aircraft.

5. a protective compartment, as for an automobile's instrument gauges.

6. bubble.

   I've agreed with some friends to become part of their pandemic pod.

7. Mining.,  an orebody that has an elongated or lenticular shape.

8. Radio and Television Slang.,  a cluster of brief commercials or spot announcements.

verb (used without object)

podded, podding 

1. to produce pods.

2. to swell out like a pod.

pod

²

[pod]

noun

1. a group of aquatic animals, especially marine mammals.

   a pod of walruses.

2. a small flock of birds.

pod

³

[pod]

noun

1. podcast: I'll be podding about the film next week.

   What pods do you listen to?

   I'll be podding about the film next week.

   We should pod all the discussions we're having leading up to our trip.

pod

⁴

[pod]

noun

1. the straight groove or channel in the body of certain augers or bits.

2. Carpentry.,  pad.

POD

⁵

abbreviation

1. port of debarkation.

pod-

⁶

1. a learned borrowing from Greek meaning “foot,” used in the formation of compound words: pododynia.

-pod

⁷

1. a combining form meaning “one having a foot” of the kind or number specified by the initial element; often corresponding to New Latin class names ending in -poda, with -pod used in English to name a single member of such a class: cephalopod.

P.O.D.

⁸

abbreviation

1. pay on delivery.

2. Post Office Department.

p.o.'d

⁹

[pee-ohd]

adjective

Slang.

1. pissed off.

pod

¹

/ pɒd /

noun

1. 1. the fruit of any leguminous plant, consisting of a long two-valved case that contains seeds and splits along both sides when ripe

   2. the seedcase as distinct from the seeds

2. any similar fruit

3. a streamlined structure attached by a pylon to an aircraft and used to house a jet engine ( podded engine ), fuel tank, armament, etc

4. an enclosed cabin suspended from a cable or a big wheel, for carrying passengers

verb

1. (tr) to remove the pod or shell from (peas, beans, etc)

2. (intr) (of a plant) to produce pods

POD

²

abbreviation

1. pay on delivery

abbreviation

1. print on demand

pod

³

/ pɒd /

noun

1. a straight groove along the length of certain augers and bits

2. the socket that holds the bit in a boring tool

-pod

⁴

combining form

1. indicating a certain type or number of feet

   arthropod

   tripod

pod

⁵

/ pɒd /

noun

1. a small group of animals, esp seals, whales, or birds

–pod

¹

1. A suffix meaning “foot.” It is used in the scientific names of the members of many groups of organisms, such as arthropod, an organism having “jointed feet,” and sauropod, a dinosaur having “lizard feet.” It is also used in the names of different kinds of limbs or limblike body parts, such as pseudopod, the “false foot” of an amoeba.

pod

²

1. A fruit or seed case that usually splits along two seams to release its seeds when mature. Legumes, such as peas and beans, produce pods.

Other Word Forms

• podlike adjective
• unpodded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pod¹

First recorded in 1680–90; apparently back formation from podder “gatherer of peas (as from a garden)”; further origin uncertain)

Origin of pod²

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; perhaps special (originally facetious) use of pod ¹

Origin of pod³

First recorded in 2005–10; by shortening

Origin of pod⁴

First recorded in 1565–75; origin uncertain; perhaps a continuation of Old English pād “outer garment, cloak,” the socket being thought of as something that covers or hides from view what is held in it (though the phonology is irregular)

Origin of pod⁵

Combining form representing Greek poús (genitive podós ) foot

Origin of pod⁶

From New Latin, from Greek -pod-, stem of -pous, adjective derivative of poús; foot

Origin of pod⁷

First recorded in 1945–50; by shortening

Word History and Origins

Origin of pod¹

C17: perhaps back formation from earlier podware bagged vegetables, probably from pod, variant of _cod ² + _ware ¹

Origin of pod²

C16: of unknown origin

Origin of pod³

from Greek -podos footed, from pous foot

Origin of pod⁴

C19: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

Sitting in my modular room at Reset, comfy in my little pod, I felt I could stare out at it all day.

From Los Angeles Times

The show sees singles date each other in "pods", speaking through a wall without seeing what the other person looks like.

From BBC

The nickname is short for "ketamine pods" and refers to how etomidate has similar effects to ketamine.

From BBC

It was actually a bush with seed pods hanging from it but his child's delight at seeing a "sausage tree" has stayed with him since.

From BBC

Most whales and dolphins are highly social and live in pods with their own kind - but some individuals, like Reggie, become solitary for reasons that are unclear, according to the charity.

From BBC

Related Words

• capsule 
• husk 
• skin 

When To Use

What does pod- mean?

The combining form pod- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “foot.” It is very occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology and medicine.The form pod- comes from Greek poús, meaning “foot.” The Latin cognate of poús is pēs, “foot,” and is the source of several combining forms related to the lower extremities, including -ped, -pede, ped-, and pedi-. Discover more at our Words That Use articles for each of these four forms.What are variants of pod-?The form pod- is a variant of podo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels, and shares an origin with the combining forms -pod, -poda, -pode, -podium, and -podous. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for all six forms.

When To Use

What does -pod mean?

The combining form -pod is used like a suffix meaning “one having a foot” or "-footed." It is often used to denote a single member of a class in zoology. For example, a member of the class Cephalopoda (which includes mollusks like squid), is a cephalopod.The form -pod comes from Greek -pous, meaning “-footed.” The Latin cognate of -pous is -pēs, “-footed,” and is the source of several combining forms related to the lower extremities, including -ped, -pede, and pedi-. Discover more at our Words That Use articles for each of these three forms.What are the variants of -pod? Though -pod doesn’t have any variants, it shares an origin with the combining forms pod-, podo-, -poda, -pode, -podium, and -podous. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for all six forms.