wampum

noun

ˈwäm-pəm How to pronounce wampum (audio)
Definition of wampumnext
as in money
something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment made some real wampum on that last business deal

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wampum Today, Mohegan Tribal Elder, Beth Regan presented Alissa Pili gifts from the Mohegan Tribe including a wampum necklace to honor her journey into the @WNBA as and Indigenous woman. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 20 May 2024 Entering the New-York Historical Society from Central Park West, all visitors come upon a section of wampum belt and the kind of statement that in the last several years has become standard fare at cultural institutions. — Marc Tracy, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2024 Similar stories played out with other forms of money, such as wampum beads. — Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Some of their gear—a pair of shoes, a VHF radio, a wampum sash worth several thousand dollars—now resides on the canal’s bottom. — Ben McGrath, The New Yorker, 3 July 2023 See All Example Sentences for wampum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wampum
  1. money
  2. cash
  3. coin
  4. currency
  5. bucks
  6. gold
Noun
  • Palo Alto is putting its money where its mouth is on agentic security, announcing Tuesday the acquisition of Console for an undisclosed sum.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Gordon was completed swiftly, earning Newcastle more money than anticipated (with €70m benchmarked).
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of money
Noun
  • West Suburban closed in March, after the hospital’s CEO said problems with the billing systems left the hospital short on cash.
    — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Down payment expectations are meaningfully larger too; these programs generally want the borrower to have real equity in the deal from day one, and the strongest pricing goes to borrowers who bring more cash and better credit.
    — Karen Koehler, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of cash
Noun
  • Towering patent leather Louboutins hid underneath the floor-grazing dress, while a tiny coin purse provided the finishing touch.
    — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The same research cites a case in which Amazon's Alexa told a ten-year-old to touch a live electrical plug with a coin, a machine executing a request flawlessly while having no idea a child had made it.
    — Dana Williams, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of coin
Noun
  • Dado Ruvic | Reuters Bitcoin headed for its third straight winning week, as traders searched for refuge amid volatile moves in equities, currencies and bond markets.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
  • And the depreciation of the naira currency has seen the dollar value of company revenues fall within the period.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of currency
Noun
  • That’s because content companies are willing to shell out major bucks to air live, anything-can-happen matches, which tend to draw bigger audiences than scripted fare.
    — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Videos showed a doe shot over bait, while others documented smaller bucks in the bed of his truck — all while Wolff had his hunting and fishing licenses revoked.
    — David Zeug, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of bucks
Noun
  • The department accused the bank and its entities of being established to enable Iran’s efforts to transfer oil revenues from China to Turkey, where they could then be converted to cash and gold.
    — Farnoush Amiri, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Law enforcement will never ask for cash, gold or cryptocurrency.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of gold

Browse Nearby Words

waltz (up)
wampum
wan
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wampum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wampum. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wampum

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wampum

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