pond
Americannoun
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a body of water smaller than a lake, sometimes artificially formed, as by damming a stream.
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Informal. the pond, the Atlantic Ocean.
American companies are finding business is different on the other side of the pond.
verb (used without object)
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(especially of water) to collect into a pond or large puddle.
to prevent rainwater from ponding on the roof.
noun
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a pool of still water, often artificially created
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( in combination )
a fishpond
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An inland body of standing water that is smaller than a lake. Natural ponds form in small depressions and are usually shallow enough to support rooted vegetation across most or all of their areas.
Etymology
Origin of pond
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English ponde, pande, akin to Old English pynding “dam,” gepyndan “to impound.” See pound 3
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Running a big food company these days is like fishing in a dried-up pond.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
"If I am not amiss, this pond 'lake' is in the countryside in a rural setting," he said.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
She was a big fish in a small and comfortable pond.
From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026
"Sound waves exert forces on particles -- just like waves on the surface of a pond can exert forces on a floating leaf," explains Morrell.
From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2026
Ice cut from a pond in winter and stored beneath an open structure called the Temple chilled food and drinks in Virginia’s summer heat.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.