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Meaning & use

rods

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/rɒdz/
US/rɑːdz/

“rods” is a form of “rod”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meanings

  1. nounplural

    Long thin straight pieces of wood, metal, or plastic, used for support, measuring, or as a tool.

    Grammar: This is the plural of the countable noun 'rod'; use 'a rod' for one.

    Patterns

    • a pair of rods
    • steel/wooden rods
    • rods and reels

    The curtain hangs from a rail fixed with two metal rods.

    He bent the thin rods into a frame for the model airplane.

    The builder laid steel rods inside the concrete to make it stronger.

  2. nounplural

    A light, flexible pole with a line and hook, used for catching fish.

    Grammar: Plural of 'rod'; in fishing talk people say 'rods and reels' as a fixed pair.

    Patterns

    • fishing rods
    • pack your rods
    • a rod and reel

    They loaded their rods and reels into the boat before sunrise.

    My grandfather kept his fishing rods in the garage.

    Carbon-fiber rods are light but strong.

  3. nounpluralbiologytechnical

    Tiny light-sensitive cells in the eye that let you see in dim light.

    Grammar: Usually plural in this sense; the singular 'rod' is mainly used in technical writing.

    Patterns

    • rods and cones
    • rods in the retina

    Rods in the retina help us see shapes when the light is very low.

    The eye's rods cannot tell colors apart; cones do that job.

    At night your rods take over, which is why colors look gray.

Word forms

singularrod

Common combinations

fishing rods
He sells fishing rods and tackle at the harbor shop.
rods and cones
Rods and cones are the two main types of light-sensing cells in the eye.
steel rods
Workers pushed steel rods into the wet concrete.
a rod for punishment
The old school kept a thin rod for punishment.

Synonyms and how they differ

pole
A pole is usually thicker and longer, like a flagpole, while a rod is thinner and often stiffer.
bar
A bar is a solid straight piece, often of metal, but it is usually thicker than a rod.
stick
A stick is a rough piece of wood found in nature; a rod is smoother and often made by people.

Word family

rodlike adjective
Shaped like a thin straight rod.
rodding noun
The act of clearing a drain with a long flexible rod.

Commonly confused: rods or rode? rods or road?

rods vs rode

'Rode' is the past tense of 'ride' (he rode a bike), while 'rods' are the thin straight objects.

rods vs road

'Road' is the way vehicles travel on; 'rods' are the plural of 'rod' and sound almost the same in some accents.

Practice

In which sentence does 'rods' mean the light-sensing cells in the eye?

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