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

wad

²

/ 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

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

C17: of unknown origin

Origin of wad²

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

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

By about 1:45 a.m., several mobile response squads waded into the melee to try to separate protesters and counterprotesters who’d converged near a flagpole.

From Los Angeles Times

People who had never left Moldova before were returning from a few days in Russia with wads of notes.

From BBC

Despite its pledged neutrality, the church has waded into issues it considers moral, supporting conservative views on issues such as abortion and LGBTQ+ rights.

From Los Angeles Times

“Where’s everybody at?” a rescue worker from the Hillsborough County sheriff’s office yelled Friday morning as he waded into a flooded home in Dover.

From Los Angeles Times

They have the tastes of children and teens — escaping into the night with bags of chips and candy instead of wads of cash, drugs or weapons — and work with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bundle
• chunk
• clump
• lump
• packet