wad

1 of 2

noun

ˈwäd 

1

: a small mass, bundle, or tuft: such as

a

: a soft mass especially of a loose fibrous material variously used (as to stop an aperture, pad a garment, or hold grease around an axle)

b(1)

: a soft plug used to retain a powder charge or to avoid windage especially in a muzzle-loading gun

(2)

: a felt or paper disk used to separate the components of a shotgun cartridge

c

: a small mass of a chewing substance

a wad of gum

2

: a considerable amount (as of money)

3

a

: a roll of paper money

b

: money

wad

2 of 2

verb

wadded; wadding

transitive verb

1

a

: to insert a wad into

wad a gun

b

: to hold in by a wad

wad a bullet in a gun

2

: to form into a wad or wadding

especially : to roll or crush into a tight wad

3

: to stuff or line with some soft substance

wadder noun

Synonyms of wad

Noun

• loads
• ton
• plenty
• dozen
• chunk
• bunch
• pile
• slew
• deal
• lot
• bundle
• quantity
• stack
• wealth
• raft

Verb

• round
• roll
• ball

Examples of wad in a Sentence

Noun

He spent a wad on clothes.

a starlet who usually gets a big wad of publicity for her nonstop antics

Verb

she wadded up the paper and threw it in the wastebasket

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Use those wads of wrapping paper leftover from a birthday, baby shower, or holiday bash to stuff the bottom and sides of the box and prevent shifting during shipping. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025

Finding a small liver wad incredibly difficult. —Dawn White, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025

Verb

The Socks Are Inside Other Clothes Did the sock actually enter another space-time continuum—or did it get wadded up in someone's pant leg? —Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 5 Jan. 2026

The cellulosic cattail fiber is spun into wadding with a 20 percent binder currently made from a biodegradable poly filament, as used to secure those fibers together. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 24 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English wadde, from Medieval Latin wadda

First Known Use

Noun

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for wad

• awed
• baaed
• baud
• bawd
• brod
• clawed
• cod
• flawed
• fraud
• gnawed
• god
• jawed

Kids Definition

wad

1 of 2 noun

ˈwäd 

1

: a small mass, bundle, or tuft

a wad of cotton

2

: a soft pad or plug used to hold a powder charge in a gun or cartridge

3

a

: a roll of paper money

b

: a large amount (as of money)

spent a wad on clothes

wad

2 of 2 verb

wadded; wadding

1

: to form into a wad or wadding

wad up a handkerchief

2

: to stuff or line with soft material