rod : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: rod	by the DICT Development Group
2 results for rod
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
rod n a long thin implement made of metal or wood any rod-shaped bacterium a linear measure of 16.5 feet Synonym(s): perch, rod, pole a square rod of land Synonym(s): perch, rod, pole a visual receptor cell that is sensitive to dim light Synonym(s): rod, rod cell, retinal rod a gangster's pistol Synonym(s): gat, rod
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Rod \Rod\, n. [The same word as rood. See {Rood}.] 1. A straight and slender stick; a wand; hence, any slender bar, as of wood or metal (applied to various purposes). Specifically: (a) An instrument of punishment or correction; figuratively, chastisement. He that spareth his rod hateth his son. --Prov. xiii. 24. (b) A kind of sceptor, or badge of office; hence, figuratively, power; authority; tyranny; oppression. [bd]The rod, and bird of peace.[b8] --Shak. (c) A support for a fishing line; a fish pole. --Gay. (d) (Mach. & Structure) A member used in tension, as for sustaining a suspended weight, or in tension and compression, as for transmitting reciprocating motion, etc.; a connecting bar. (e) An instrument for measuring. 2. A measure of length containing sixteen and a half feet; -- called also {perch}, and {pole}. {Black rod}. See in the Vocabulary. {Rods and cones} (Anat.), the elongated cells or elements of the sensory layer of the retina, some of which are cylindrical, others somewhat conical.