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 ( def 11b ):

   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)

, pod·ded, pod·ding.

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 ( def ): 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 ¹( def 15b ).

POD

⁵

abbreviation for

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. Compare -ped ( def ).

P.O.D.

⁸

abbreviation for

1. pay on delivery.
2. Post Office Department.

p.o.'d

⁹

[ pee-ohd ]

adjective

, Slang.

1. pissed off.

pod

¹

/ 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

²

/ pɒd /

noun

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

pod

³

/ 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

⁴

abbreviation for

1. pay on delivery

abbreviation for

1. print on demand

-pod

⁵

combining form

1. indicating a certain type or number of feet

   arthropod

   tripod

–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

/ pŏd /

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 Words From

• pod·like adjective
• un·pod·ded 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

C16: of unknown origin

Origin of pod²

C19: of unknown origin

Origin of pod³

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

Origin of pod⁴

from Greek -podos footed, from pous foot

Example Sentences

Scrolling through local glamping sites, an eye-catching £99 "stargazing dome" deal offered a futuristic pod with a transparent canopy and breathtaking views of twinkling North Yorkshire skies.

From BBC

In an episode of "Pod Save America" released before the Gaetz announcement, New York Times columnist Ezra Klein predicted a second Trump term will feature "much more factional in-fighting than people are prepared for."

From Salon

On the OC’s large open plan floor, amid the banks of monitors arranged in clusters for the different mines, I meet Jess Cowie who used be a manual driller but now directs autonomous ones from the central drill pod.

From BBC

The “Two Ts in a Pod” co-host announced her divorce on social media over the weekend.

From Los Angeles Times

Practically indestructible, it’s a perfectly palm-sized piece of machined brass that features a lid that swivels closed, a permanent screen, a stash pod that stows about five bowls’ worth of herb and an onboard poker that holds the whole shebang together — when it’s not being used to clean the screen or bowl.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• annoyed
• furious
• heated
• incensed
• irate
• livid
• mad
• miffed
• resentful
• scornful

Words That Use -pod

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.

Examples of -pod

An example of a word you may have encountered that features –pod is tripod, “a stool or table with three legs.” Tripod comes from Greek tripod-, which features the equivalent of the form in that language.

The tri– part of the word means “three,” from Greek treîs, while the form –pod means “-footed.” Tripod literally translates to “three-footed.”

What are some words that use the combining form –pod?

• brachiopod (using the equivalent form of –pod in Latin)
• decapod (using the equivalent form of –pod in Latin)
• gonopod
• isopod (using the equivalent form of –pod in Latin)
• monopod
• octopod (using the equivalent form of –pod in Latin)

What are some other forms that –pod may be commonly confused with?

• -pedia
• -penia
• -ploid

Not every word that ends with the exact letters –pod, such as seedpod, is necessarily using the combining form –pod to denote “-footed.” Learn why seedpod means “seed vessel” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The combining form octo– means “eight.” With this in mind, what does octopod literally mean?