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
  • The suspect entered a Wells Fargo Bank branch and demanded money from a bank employee.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
  • Snapchat mastermind and man who gets a lot of money to play soccer, Erling Haaland, is out of the World Cup and headed back to Norway, but not without some souvenirs.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Definition of money
Noun
  • No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don't expire as long as your account remains open.
    — Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 13 July 2026
  • The district’s expenses are outpacing incoming revenue; there is no cash reserve cushion.
    — Jennifer Custer, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
Definition of cash
Noun
  • The other side of the coin here is those who only want to question the integrity of the country, or only want to enumerate its deals with the devil, that’s not healthy either.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 July 2026
  • My father has sued both the bank and the coin company for negligence.
    — Ari Maas, New York Daily News, 11 July 2026
Definition of coin
Noun
  • These organelles make adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of life, through a cascade of chemical reactions that breaks down glucose and fat from food.
    — Rachel Nuwer, Quanta Magazine, 17 July 2026
  • Thanks to dynamic ticket pricing and soaring fuel and transportation costs, as well as the rising currency for sports tickets-as-prestige-items, the people’s game currently belongs to the 1 percent.
    — Michelle Tchea, Robb Report, 17 July 2026
Definition of currency
Noun
  • Our price target is a bit higher at $265 — a couple of bucks shy of last Tuesday's highs.
    — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 14 July 2026
  • Million Dollar Trifle is a decadent layered dessert that looks and tastes like a million bucks, yet is extremely simple to make.
    — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 13 July 2026
Definition of bucks
Noun
  • The axes had traces of gold on the edge of them, suggesting this person worked with gold and probably other metals such as copper and bronze, Booth said.
    — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • For jewelry, a delicate gold watch, earrings, plus her Jessica McCormack engagement ring and wedding band.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 17 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 19 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wampum

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wampum

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