Clod
/klɒd/noun
A lump of earth, clay, or other compact matter; also, a foolish or awkward person.
Did you know?The insult sense of clod comes from the idea of a person being as dull and shapeless as a lump of earth, not from any occult origin, though the earthy imagery made it feel almost ritualistic in older English.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*klaudaz
“a lump, clot, or mass”
Old English
OE
clod
“a lump of earth or turf”
Middle English
ME
clodde
“a mass of earth; a cloddy lump”
14th Century
English
clod
“a lump of earth; later, a stupid person”
Modern English
English
clod
“a lump of earth or a dull, stupid person”