wadding

1 of 2

noun

wad·​ding ˈwä-diŋ 

1

: wads or material for making wads

2

: a soft mass or sheet of short loose fibers used for stuffing or padding

wadding

2 of 2

present participle of wad entry 2

Synonyms of wadding

Noun

• filling
• packing
• fill
• padding

Examples of wadding in a Sentence

Noun

the last step is to fill the pillow with wadding and stitch it closed

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The star wore a Schiaparelli skirt set resembling rippling sand dunes through multiple layers of wadding and sandy shades. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026

Lightweight knitwear, raw-edge brocades, stiff satin, dark sequins, 3D textural manipulations and exposed wadding will also feature in the collection. — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 16 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

The wadding that created those poofy numbers is made of sustainable wool, for example. — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2023

The kit comes with everything your astronaut friend needs, except for engines and recovery wadding. — Matt Jancer, Wired, 17 Nov. 2021

Dummy bullets had been replaced with cardboard wadding, but a portion from one of the dummy bullets had broken off and remained in the gun. — Melissa Mahtani, CNN, 25 Oct. 2021

However, even blanks can eject hot gases and paper or plastic wadding from the barrel that can be lethal at close range. — Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2021

Even blanks can eject hot gases and paper or plastic wadding from the barrel that can be lethal at close range. — CBS News, 23 Oct. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for wadding

• lauding
• nodding
• plodding
• prodding
• sodding
• applauding
• defrauding
• marauding

Kids Definition

wadding

noun

wad·​ding

ˈwäd-iŋ

1

: wads or material for making wads

2

: a soft mass or sheet of fibers used for stuffing or padding

Medical Definition

wadding

noun

wad·​ding ˈwäd-iŋ 

: a soft absorbent sheet of cotton, wool, or cellulose used especially in hospitals for surgical dressings