rod

A straight, round stick, shaft, bar, cane, or staff.

• The circus strong man proved his strength by bending an iron rod, and then straightening it.

A longitudinal pole used for forming part of a framework such as an awning or tent.

A long slender usually tapering pole used for angling; fishing rod.

• When I hooked a snake and not a fish, I got so scared I dropped my rod in the water.

A stick, pole, or bundle of switches or twigs (such as a birch), used for personal defense or to administer corporal punishment by whipping.

• So was I brought up: they tell mee, that in all my youth, I never felt rod [translating verges] but twice, and that very lightly.

An implement resembling and/or supplanting a rod (particularly a cane) that is used for corporal punishment, and metonymically called the rod, regardless of its actual shape and composition.

• The judge imposed on the thief a sentence of fifteen strokes with the rod.

A stick used to measure distance, by using its established length or task-specific temporary marks along its length, or by dint of specific graduated marks.

• I notched a rod and used it to measure the length of rope to cut.

A unit of length equal to 1 pole, a perch, ¹⁄₄ chain, 5+¹⁄₂ yards, 16+¹⁄₂ feet, or exactly 5.0292 meters (these being all equivalent).archaic

• In one of the villages I saw the next summer a cow tethered by a rope six rods long[…].
• the valley is forty to sixty rods wide

An implement held vertically and viewed through an optical surveying instrument such as a transit, used to measure distance in land surveying and construction layout; an engineer's rod, surveyor's rod, surveying rod, leveling rod, ranging rod. The modern (US) engineer's or surveyor's rod commonly is

A unit of area equal to a square rod, 30+¹⁄₄ square yards or ¹⁄₁₆₀ acre.archaic

• The house had a small yard of about six rods in size.

A straight bar that unites moving parts of a machine, for holding parts together as a connecting rod or for transferring power as a driveshaft.

• The engine threw a rod, and then went to pieces before our eyes, springs and coils shooting in all directions.

To reinforce concrete with metal rods.

To furnish with rods, especially lightning rods.transitive

To penetrate sexually.slangtransitivevulgar

• On impulse he moved around to the opposite side of the couple, in the direction which Grace's broad buttocks were pointed, for a full view of the big boned woman's back side. Now Grace wouldn't mind one iota if he rodded her from the rear.

To hot rod.slang

• There were three clear sets, more than what you might expect at Heartbreak Point, given all the juvies rodding in and out of there with their girlfriends.