clodhopper

/ˈklɑdˌhɑpɚ/

//ˈklɑdˌhɑpɚ// noun

"clodhopper" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clodhopper” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A strong shoe for heavy-duty use, a boot.

Corpus desk

Index EN-clodhopper · clodhopper · English

clodhopper · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for clodhopper
PropertyValue
Headwordclodhopper
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈklɑdˌhɑpɚ/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “clodhopper” in English

clodhopperranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

clodhopper is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈklɑdˌhɑpɚ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for clodhopper in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Compound of clod + hopper (agentive form of the verb hop). Perhaps affected by analogy with grasshopper. Attested in the sense of "peasant" since the seventeenth century; the extended sense of "boot" or "shoe" dates from the nineteenth century. The correct English form is clodhopper, spelled C-L-O-D-H-O-P-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A strong shoe for heavy-duty use, a boot.
  2. 2
    Any shoe construed (within a particular context) as ungainly.
  3. 3
    United States Navy ankle length work shoes, distinct from dress shoes or combat boots.
  4. 4
    A peasant or yokel.
  5. 5
    A clumsy or foolish person.
  6. 6
    Wheatear: any of various passerine birds.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how clodhopper appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. ...who had got on his "hill shoes," as he calls a pair of clodhoppers as thick as a ploughman's, and stuck round with nails.
  2. We had to walk slow because of his wooden clod-hoppers, and that was the way I wanted it now

Etymology

Compound of clod + hopper (agentive form of the verb hop). Perhaps affected by analogy with grasshopper. Attested in the sense of "peasant" since the seventeenth century; the extended sense of "boot" or "shoe" dates from the nineteenth century.

Synonyms

clodknocker

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "clodhopper"?
"clodhopper" is spelled C-L-O-D-H-O-P-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklɑdˌhɑpɚ/.
What does "clodhopper" mean?
As a noun, "clodhopper" means: A strong shoe for heavy-duty use, a boot.
How do you pronounce "clodhopper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clodhopper" is /ˈklɑdˌhɑpɚ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "clodhopper"?
Compound of clod + hopper (agentive form of the verb hop). Perhaps affected by analogy with grasshopper. Attested in the sense of "peasant" since the seventeenth century; the extended sense of "boot" or "shoe" dates from the nineteenth century. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list