wad
1a 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.
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.
to become formed into a wad: The damp tissues had wadded in his pocket.
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
1Other words from wad
- wadder, noun
- un·wad·ded, adjective
Words Nearby wad
Other definitions for wad (2 of 2)
a soft, earthy, black to dark-brown mass of manganese oxide minerals.
Origin of wad
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use wad in a sentence
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.
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.
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.
As our mouths water, saliva not only softens and shapes food into wads but also helps us swallow them.
Cool Jobs: Saliva offers a spitting image of our health | Kathiann Kowalski | May 6, 2021 | Science News For StudentsThose wads were designed to soak up excess saliva during dental procedures.
Simpler, easier COVID-19 test developed with kids in mind | Kathiann Kowalski | May 6, 2021 | 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.
Short Stories from The Daily Beast: Four Hundred Grand | Elliot Ackerman | July 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHE was arrested for drug trafficking outside the dry cleaners and police found a wad of cash in his left front pocket.
Peggy commits a grievous faux pas when she nervously eyes her purse—with a wad of cash inside—next to the sofa.
He was handsome, flirty, and always had a wad of cash from which he dispensed $10 and $20 bills.
Whitey Bulger’s Women: Inside the Terror and Glamour of His Ex-Girlfriends | T.J. English | June 11, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTA quick glance—a sniff—is all it takes to acknowledge a wad.
Last Look at Munch’s ‘The Scream’ as Painting Is Auctioned for $119M | Blake Gopnik | May 3, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTGot through the partition door; he had even thought to block the snap-lock with a paper wad.
In fact, I don't believe old Uncle Charlie ever meant me to come in for all his wad.
The Everlasting Arms | Joseph HockingThey waste mair in yae day, whiles, than wad keep your family or mine for a whole year.
The Underworld | James C. WelshThen rub a little charcoal powder over the pricked pattern with a wad of soft cotton-wool.
Harper's Young People, November 30, 1880 | VariousWhen they carried out the coffins, she sprang up gin she wad follow them, but was putten back to bed again.
The Underworld | James C. Welsh
British Dictionary definitions for wad (1 of 2)
/ (wɒd) /
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 bun: char and a wad
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
Origin of wad
1Derived forms of wad
- wadder, noun
British Dictionary definitions for wad (2 of 2)
/ (wɒd) /
a soft dark earthy amorphous material consisting of decomposed manganese minerals: occurs in damp marshy areas
Origin of wad
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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