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)

, wad·ded, wad·ding.

1. to form (material) into a wad.
2. to roll tightly (often followed by up ):

   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)

, wad·ded, wad·ding.

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

Derived Forms

• ˈwadder, noun

Other Words From

• wadder noun
• un·wadded 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, Informal.
   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

She threw some clothes into a bag, along with her passport, two mobile phones and a wad of cash before climbing into a taxi with her brother and father.

From Time

To reach the 150-year-old mark, you might need to live in an environment free of stressors — and a wad of cash to cover what will be costly treatments.

From Ozy

To wipe before returning to your outdoor shenanigans, you might need extra practice holding back the fabric layers with one hand while the other wields a pee rag or wad of toilet paper.

From Outside Online

As our mouths water, saliva not only softens and shapes food into wads but also helps us swallow them.

From Science News For Students

Those wads were designed to soak up excess saliva during dental procedures.

From Science News For Students

He licked them up with a slick bronzy tongue and spat a thick wad of honey-brown juice into the empty teacup.

From The Daily Beast

HE was arrested for drug trafficking outside the dry cleaners and police found a wad of cash in his left front pocket.

From The Daily Beast

Peggy commits a grievous faux pas when she nervously eyes her purse—with a wad of cash inside—next to the sofa.

From The Daily Beast

He was handsome, flirty, and always had a wad of cash from which he dispensed $10 and $20 bills.

From The Daily Beast

A quick glance—a sniff—is all it takes to acknowledge a wad.

From The Daily Beast

Got through the partition door; he had even thought to block the snap-lock with a paper wad.

From Project Gutenberg

In fact, I don't believe old Uncle Charlie ever meant me to come in for all his wad.

From Project Gutenberg

They waste mair in yae day, whiles, than wad keep your family or mine for a whole year.

From Project Gutenberg

Then rub a little charcoal powder over the pricked pattern with a wad of soft cotton-wool.

From Project Gutenberg

When they carried out the coffins, she sprang up gin she wad follow them, but was putten back to bed again.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bundle
• chunk
• clump
• lump
• packet