wad

[ wod ]

/ wɒd /

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See synonyms for: wad / wadded / wadding / wadder on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

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

a roll of something, especially of bank notes.

Informal. a comparatively large stock or quantity of something, especially money: He's got a healthy wad salted away.

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.

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

verb (used with object), wad·ded, wad·ding.

to form (material) into a wad.

to roll tightly (often followed by up): He wadded up his cap and stuck it into his pocket.

to hold in place by a wad: They rammed and wadded the shot into their muskets.

to put a wad into; stuff with a wad.

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.

to become formed into a wad: The damp tissues had wadded in his pocket.

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Question 1 of 6

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Idioms about wad

shoot one's wad, Informal.

to spend all one's money: He shot his wad on a new car.
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.
Slang: Vulgar. (of a man) to have an orgasm.

Origin of wad

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

OTHER WORDS FROM wad

wadder, nounun·wad·ded, adjective

Other definitions for wad (2 of 2)

wad²

[ wod ]

/ wɒd /

noun

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

Origin of wad

First recorded in 1605–15; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use wad in a sentence

Hundreds headed to banks to withdraw cash, reminiscent of the junta era when people would stuff wads of cash in pillowcases or under floorboards.
In Myanmar coup, Suu Kyi’s ouster heralds return to military rule|Shibani Mahtani, Timothy McLaughlin|February 1, 2021|Washington Post
Structure is key, too, so note logs, rocks, and root wads along banks.
Don’t have a boat? Try bowfishing.|By Natalie Krebs/Outdoor Life|November 3, 2020|Popular-Science
They next covered his arms with sleeves made of wadded silk, and then presented him with kid gloves, also greased inside.
Chicot the Jester|Alexandre Dumas, Pere
She now appeared with a bonnet, and a wadded cloak which her master had given her.
An Old Man's Love|Anthony Trollope

The Frileuse is a wadded pelisse of satin à la reine or common.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine Vol. IV, No. 19, Dec 1851|Various
The lines of her figure were shrouded in a loose, wadded gown of dove-coloured silk, bordered with swan's-down.
The History of Sir Richard Calmady|Lucas Malet
A hillman walked behind him with a wadded cotton-quilt and spread it carefully by the fire.
Kim|Rudyard Kipling

British Dictionary definitions for wad (1 of 2)

wad¹

/ (wɒd) /

noun

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

a plug of paper, cloth, leather, etc, pressed against a charge to hold it in place in a muzzle-loading cannon
a disc of paper, felt, pasteboard, etc, used to hold in place the powder and shot in a shotgun cartridge

a roll or bundle of something, esp of banknotes

US and Canadian slang a large quantity, esp of money

British dialect a bundle of hay or straw

British military slang a bunchar and a wad

verb wads, wadding or wadded

to form (something) into a wad

(tr) to roll into a wad or bundle

(tr)

to hold (a charge) in place with a wad
to insert a wad into (a gun)

(tr) to pack or stuff with wadding; pad

Derived forms of wad

wadder, noun

Word Origin for wad

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

British Dictionary definitions for wad (2 of 2)

wad²

/ (wɒd) /

noun

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

Word Origin for wad

C17: of unknown origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

wad

Idioms about wad

Origin of wad

OTHER WORDS FROM wad

Other definitions for wad (2 of 2)

Origin of wad

Words related to wad

How to use wad in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wad (1 of 2)

Derived forms of wad

Word Origin for wad

British Dictionary definitions for wad (2 of 2)

Word Origin for wad