1
a(1)
: a straight slender stick growing on or cut from a tree or bush
(2)
: osier
(3)
(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
Cite this Entry
“Rod.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rod. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.
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