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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

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

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

By month’s end, CAD Management estimates Bublé will be 9% ahead of Carey in terms of streams.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 24, 2025

The findings suggest that the gut ecosystem in people with CAD undergoes significant changes that promote inflammation and disrupt normal metabolic processes.

From Science Daily • Nov. 12, 2025

Earlier research had reported that certain species within the family Lachnospiraceae decrease in people with CAD.

From Science Daily • Nov. 12, 2025

He appealed for anyone with video footage from the area to get in touch with the police on 101 quoting CAD 4647/24Aug.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025

"You unspeakable CAD," she said, and choked, stamped her little foot, and stood panting.

From The Wheels of Chance: a Bicycling Idyll by Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)