club1

 
Pronunciation: /klʌb/

noun

  • 1 [treated as singular or plural] an association dedicated to a particular interest or activity: I belong to a photographic club [as modifier]: the club secretary
  • the premises used by a particular club: a jazz club a social club
  • an organization offering members social amenities, meals, and temporary residence: we had dinner at his club
  • [usually with modifier] a commercial organization offering members special benefits: a shopping club
  • [with adjective or noun modifier] a group of people or nations having something in common: the wild man of the movies refused to join the teetotal club
  • 2 [treated as singular or plural] an organization constituted to play matches in a particular sport: a football club
  • 3a nightclub playing fashionable dance music: [as modifier]: the club scene

verb (clubs, clubbing, clubbed)

[no object]
  • 1 (club together) British combine with others so as to collect a sum of money for a particular purpose: friends and colleagues clubbed together to buy him a present
  • 2 informal go out to nightclubs: she enjoys going clubbing in Oxford

Phrases

in the club (or the pudding club)

British informal pregnant.

join the club

[in imperative] informal used as an observation that someone else is in a similar difficult situation to oneself: if you’re confused, join the club!

Derivatives

clubber

noun informal
club1 (sense 2 of the verb).

Origin:

early 17th century (as a verb): formed obscurely from club2