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
  • Villa’s desire to address this position has grown in prominence over the summer, with Jadon Sancho’s loan ending, Evann Guessand and Leon Bailey available to leave and Villa having the money to spend from Rogers’ sale.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Georgia voters should look twice before donating money to candidates this election season.
    — Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of money
Noun
  • Police located a third gun and an undisclosed amount of cash inside of a bag in a closet, BPD said.
    — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 20 July 2026
  • Conforti, an energy consultant making her third run for Congress, had less than $23,000 in campaign cash as of June 30.
    — Russell Lissau, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
Definition of cash
Noun
  • The Thames holds innumerable coins, dress pins, and nails from the pre-industrial era.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • Heritage pointed to an ever-broadening universe of collectors entering through everything from Pokémon cards and vintage video games to sports memorabilia and coins.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of coin
Noun
  • But Korea is not experiencing large capital inflows or persistent currency appreciation seen in Japan a few years before the bubble burst, giving the Bank of Korea greater flexibility to calibrate policy.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 24 July 2026
  • The economists also advocate for temporary aid to workers and the most vulnerable groups exposed to the shock of price liberalization, currency unification, and unemployment due to the restructuring of state enterprises.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Definition of currency
Noun
  • In embracing the breaks as a new opportunity to jam more marketing bucks into the funnel, Fox waltzed off with a bigger share of the World Cup’s largesse.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 24 July 2026
  • It's called the Buck Moon because male deer, which are known as bucks, will see significant growth in their antlers throughout this time, according to the almanac.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 23 July 2026
Definition of bucks
Noun
  • The bank froze the gold after the UK – along with the US and numerous other countries – refused to recognize Maduro as the winner of Venezuela’s disputed 2018 presidential election.
    — German Padinger, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • The men’s doubles champions were Australia’s Matthew Ebden and John Peers, Italy’s Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini won women’s doubles gold and the mixed doubles went to the Czech Republic’s Kateřina Siniaková and Tomáš Macháč.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of gold

Browse Nearby Words

waltz (up)
wampum
wan
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Cite this Entry

“Wampum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wampum. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wampum

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wampum

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