A South African term for a small, dense clay brick — the kind fired hard and used in old-school construction across the Cape. Klompies are known for being tough, compact, and essentially indestructible, which is probably why the word occasionally gets used figuratively to describe someone who's stubby, solid, or unmovable. In the Cape Malay and Afrikaans-influenced communities of South Africa, they're as familiar a material as concrete blocks are elsewhere.
The old cottage was built entirely from klompies, and it's still standing after a hundred years.
"klompie" means a south african term for a small, dense clay brick — the kind fired hard and used in old-school construction across the cape. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"klompie" is informal English meaning a south african term for a small, dense clay brick — the kind fired hard and used in old-school construction across the cape. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "a south african term for a small" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "klompie" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing.
No comments yet — say something.
(South Africa) A small, hard clay brick.
No comments yet — say something.
"klompie" means a south african term for a small, dense clay brick — the kind fired hard and used in old-school construction across the cape. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "klompie".
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with K.