wad

noun

\ ˈwäd

Definition of wad

(Entry 1 of 2)

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)

3a : a roll of paper money

b : money

wad

verb

wadded; wadding

Definition of wad (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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

Other Words from wad Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about wad

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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

disgusted, she wadded up the paper and threw it in the wastebasket

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The tampons of the 1930s were not too different than the ones on drugstore shelves today, generally made of a wad of dense cotton or a paper-like material attached to a string. — Alejandra Borunda, National Geographic, "How tampons and pads became so unsustainable," 6 Sep. 2019 There's lots of it: inch-thick wads of crisp Benjamins, 100-euro bills and Turkish liras. — Nabih Bulos, latimes.com, "What’s for sale at this outdoor market? Cold, hard cash," 11 July 2019 Spider silks all start out the same: a wad of goo, like thick honey, as Hayashi describes it. — Washington Post, "Scientists look to unweave the mystery of spider silks," 19 Aug. 2019 Spider silks all start out the same: a wad of goo, akin to rubber cement or thick honey, as Hayashi describes it. — NBC News, "Spider silk 'library' could hold secrets for new materials," 14 Aug. 2019 Tiny golf-ball-size wads of meat are smashed on the griddle and cooked to a juicy, sizzling crisp, then layered with cheese and stacked tall. — Dominic Armato, azcentral, "These are the best restaurants in Tempe," 6 Aug. 2019 My male likes to just sit and chew it in his mouth like a wad of gum. — Christina Butan, PEOPLE.com, "This 'Indestructible' Dog Toy Is the Number One Best-Seller on Amazon — and It's Only $4," 26 July 2019 Surveillance footage shows a man in an orange Texas Longhorns hoodie, blue sweatpants, white socks and red Nike sandals holding a black and silver handgun and a wad of cash near the register. — Sara Coello, Dallas News, "Garland police searching for armed man who robbed gas station in Longhorns sweatshirt," 13 Aug. 2019 Perhaps this explains why the whales of the world keep beaching themselves and expiring with wads of plastic in their guts, a kind of gruesome global protest. — Rowan Jacobsen, Outside Online, "An Ocean Plastics Field Trip for Corporate Executives," 8 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wad.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.