pad
pad Lexical Profile
pad Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A thick piece of soft material used to protect, shape, or cushion something.
"She knelt on a foam pad while weeding the garden to protect her knees."
A number of sheets of blank paper fastened together at one edge, used for writing or drawing.
"He grabbed a pen and a legal pad to jot down the phone number."
A person's residence, home, or apartment (informal).
"After the concert, they headed back to his pad to relax."
• verb
To fill, cover, or protect something with a soft material.
"The manufacturer padded the shipping box with foam to prevent the glass from breaking."
To walk with steady steps making a soft or muffled sound.
"The cat padded silently across the hardwood floor."
To lengthen a speech or piece of writing with unnecessary material to make it appear more substantial.
"The student padded her essay with lengthy block quotes to reach the mandatory word count."
• Rhymes for pad
Word Origin & Etymology
Originating in the mid 16th century (referring to a bundle of straw to lie on), likely from Middle Dutch 'pad' meaning 'sole of the foot', of Germanic origin. The slang sense meaning 'a person's residence' emerged in the 1950s.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.