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• cad
  cad

  noun

  an ill-bred man, especially one who behaves in a dishonorable or irresponsible way toward women.
• CAD
  CAD

  noun

  computer-aided design.

cad

¹ American  

[kad] / kæd /

noun

cads plural

1. an ill-bred man, especially one who behaves in a dishonorable or irresponsible way toward women.

   Synonyms:

   heel, rogue, rascal, rotter, bounder

2. British Archaic.

   1. a local town boy or youth, as contrasted with a university or public school student.

   2. a servant at a university or public school.

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CAD ² American  

[kad] / kæd /

noun

1. computer-aided design.

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CAD ¹ British  

acronym

1. computer-aided design

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cad ² British  

/ kæd /

noun

1. informal a man who does not behave in a gentlemanly manner towards others

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• caddish
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cads
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cad

First recorded in 1780–90; short for caddie (in the sense “a person who runs errands and does odd jobs”)

Explanation

A cad is a man who is not gentlemanly or honorable, especially toward a woman. He asked the waitress for her phone number and left you with the check? That cad! Also known as a rake, a scoundrel, a rascal, or a heel, a cad is not a guy you want to be around too long. The word cad came from the word cadet, meaning a "servant." Later cad came to be a derogatory term used by students at British universities, referring to boys from local towns. Don’t confuse the word cad with the acronym CAD, meaning "computer-aided design."

Example Sentences

As Cad Bane comments during his standoff with Fett: “One thing I can’t figure. What’s your angle?”

From The Verge • Feb. 9, 2022

A ruthless mercenary, Cad Bane is one of the most infamous and well-connected bounty hunters in the galaxy.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2022

"Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting reference Cad 2347/05Aug or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111".

From BBC • Aug. 6, 2021

James Sleater of the nervily named Cad and the Dandy on Savile Row likened shopping on the street to beckoning a sommelier at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

From New York Times • Nov. 15, 2020

So it was a compromise; not a consistent study of an individual Cad, but of the various characteristics of Caddishness.

From The History of "Punch" by Spielmann, M. H. (Marion Harry)