wad

¹

[wod]

noun

1. a small mass, lump, or ball of anything: a wad of tobacco.

   a wad of paper;

   a wad of tobacco.

2. a small mass of cotton, wool, or other fibrous or soft material, used for stuffing, padding, packing, etc.

3. a roll of something, especially of bank notes.

4. Informal.,  a comparatively large stock or quantity of something, especially money.

   He's got a healthy wad salted away.

5. a plug of cloth, tow, paper, or the like, used to hold the powder or shot, or both, in place in a gun or cartridge.

6. British Dialect.,  a bundle, especially a small one, of hay, straw, etc.

verb (used with object)

wadded, wadding 

1. to form (material) into a wad.

2. to roll tightly (often followed byup ).

   He wadded up his cap and stuck it into his pocket.

3. to hold in place by a wad.

   They rammed and wadded the shot into their muskets.

4. to put a wad into; stuff with a wad.

5. to fill out with or as if with wadding; stuff; pad.

   to wad a quilt;

   to wad a speech with useless information.

verb (used without object)

wadded, wadding 

1. to become formed into a wad.

   The damp tissues had wadded in his pocket.

wad

²

[wod]

noun

1. a soft, earthy, black to dark-brown mass of manganese oxide minerals.

wad

¹

/ wɒd /

noun

1. a small mass or ball of fibrous or soft material, such as cotton wool, used esp for packing or stuffing

2. 1. a plug of paper, cloth, leather, etc, pressed against a charge to hold it in place in a muzzle-loading cannon

   2. a disc of paper, felt, pasteboard, etc, used to hold in place the powder and shot in a shotgun cartridge

3. a roll or bundle of something, esp of banknotes

4. slang,  a large quantity, esp of money

5. dialect,  a bundle of hay or straw

6. slang,  military a bun

   char and a wad

verb

1. to form (something) into a wad

2. (tr) to roll into a wad or bundle

3. (tr)

   1. to hold (a charge) in place with a wad

   2. to insert a wad into (a gun)

4. (tr) to pack or stuff with wadding; pad

wad

²

/ wɒd /

noun

1. a soft dark earthy amorphous material consisting of decomposed manganese minerals: occurs in damp marshy areas

Other Word Forms

• wadder noun
• unwadded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wad¹

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English wadde “small bundle of straw used as a pad beneath a horse’s girth to prevent chafing,” from Medieval Latin wadda; further origin uncertain

Origin of wad²

First recorded in 1605–15; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of wad¹

C14: from Late Latin wadda; related to German Watte cotton wool

Origin of wad²

C17: of unknown origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. shoot one's wad,

   1. to spend all one's money.

      He shot his wad on a new car.

   2. to expend all one's energies or resources at one time.

      She shot her wad writing her first novel and her second wasn't as good.

   3. Slang: Vulgar. (of a man) to have an orgasm.

Example Sentences

The wife of a dementia patient has said she was "dumbfounded" after only being offered "a wad of leaflets" after his diagnosis.

From BBC

Even Prime Minister Anthony Albanese waded into the discussion back in March, suggesting the woman, Sam Jones, do the same with animals that "can actually fight back".

From BBC

Armed with a wad of cash — at a time when $100 converted to yen stretched a long way in Japan — the players set out on their first quest: beer.

From Los Angeles Times

I want to know how you can avoid the emoluments clause and still make wads of sweaty cash while serving as president.

From Salon

Labour frontbenchers have not waded into the debate in much volume.

From BBC

Related Words

• bundle 
• chunk 
• clump 
• lump 
• packet