An inland body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is smaller than a lake.
"The children spent their afternoon skipping stones across the calm pond in the backyard."
In plain English: A pond is a small, shallow body of still water that usually has plants and fish living in it.
"We sat on the edge of the pond to watch the ducks swim."
Usage: Use "pond" for small bodies of still water like those found in gardens or parks, distinguishing it from larger lakes by size and lack of flow. Avoid confusing the noun with the verb form when describing actions to block water movement unless specifically referring to damming behavior.
To block the flow of water so that it can escape only through evaporation or seepage; to dam.
"I stopped to pond on the difficult decision before answering."
To ponder.
In plain English: To pond means to move slowly and lazily through water without making much effort.
"I have no intention to pond in your life."
A surname.
"Mr. Pond shook his hand after we met at the community center."
The word "pond" likely comes from an Old English term meaning "enclosure," which was used in place names before evolving into the modern sense of a small body of water. It entered Middle English as a variant form that is also related to the word "pound."