clot

/klɑt/

/klɒt/

Other forms: clotted; clots; clotting

A clot is a mass of coagulated blood. It's your body's way of repairing itself, stopping blood from flowing and beginning to heal a wound.

You can use the noun clot for any liquid that forms a solid lump or mass, though it's usually a medical term specifically related to blood. Some clots are useful, like the ones that form on skin that's been cut, while others — like those that occur inside blood vessels — can be harmful. Clot can also be a verb, meaning to clog or coagulate. The root is the German word Klotz, which means "lump or block."

Definitions of clot

1. noun

   a lump of material formed from the content of a liquid
   synonyms: coagulum

   types:

   thrombus

   a blood clot formed within a blood vessel and remaining attached to its place of origin

   embolus

   an abnormal particle (e.g. an air bubble or part of a clot) circulating in the blood

   type of:

   ball, chunk, clod, clump, glob, lump

   a compact mass
2. verb

   change from a liquid to a thickened or solid state
   synonyms: coagulate

   types:

   curdle

   turn from a liquid to a solid mass

   type of:

   change state, turn

   undergo a transformation or a change of position or action
3. verb

   coalesce or unite in a mass
   “Blood clots”

   synonyms: clog

   type of:

   coalesce

   fuse or cause to grow together
4. verb

   turn into curds
   synonyms: clabber, curdle

   type of:

   change state, turn

   undergo a transformation or a change of position or action
5. verb

   cause to change from a liquid to a solid or thickened state
   synonyms: coagulate

   type of:

   alter, change, modify

   cause to change; make different; cause a transformation