noun 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.
noun A longitudinal pole used for forming part of a framework such as an awning or tent.
noun 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.
noun A stick, pole, or bundle of switches or twigs (such as a birch), used for personal defense or to administer corporal punishment by whipping.
noun 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.
noun 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.
noun A unit of length equal to 1 pole, a perch, ⁄4 chain, 5+⁄2 yards, 16+⁄2 feet, or exactly 5.0292 meters (these being all equivalent).