wad
wad Lexical Profile
wad Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small, soft mass or lump of flexible material, such as paper, cotton, or cloth, compressed or rolled together for padding, stuffing, or plugging.
"The nurse pressed a clean wad of cotton gauze against the patient's arm after drawing blood."
A thick roll or tightly folded stack of paper money or documents; (informally) a large amount of money.
"He pulled a thick wad of bills from his wallet to pay the contractor in cash."
A disk or plug of felt, cardboard, or cloth used to hold the powder or shot in place inside a gun barrel or cartridge.
"The museum curator explained how early musketeers used a fibrous wad to seal the propellant gases inside the barrel."
• verb
To compress, crumple, or roll a flexible material into a small, tight mass or ball.
"Frustrated with his first draft, the writer wadded the sheet of paper and tossed it into the recycling bin."
To stuff, pad, line, or plug a space or opening with soft, compressed material.
"We wadded the gaps around the window frame with old newspaper to block the chilly winter draft."
• Rhymes for wad
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the mid-16th century, probably related to Middle Low German wath or Old Norse vaðmal, referring to a coarse woolen cloth or a bundle of fibrous material.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.