WAD (wadded, wadding)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: wadded    , wadding   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does wad mean? 

• WAD (noun)
  The noun WAD has 3 senses:

1. a small mass of soft material

2. (often followed by 'of') a large number or amount or extent

3. a wad of something chewable as tobacco

  Familiarity information: WAD used as a noun is uncommon.

• WAD (verb)
  The verb WAD has 2 senses:

1. compress into a wad

2. crowd or pack to capacity

  Familiarity information: WAD used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WAD (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A small mass of soft material

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Context example:

he used a wad of cotton to wipe the counter

Hypernyms ("wad" is a kind of...):

material; stuff (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(often followed by 'of') a large number or amount or extent

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

batch; deal; flock; good deal; great deal; hatful; heap; lot; mass; mess; mickle; mint; mountain; muckle; passel; peck; pile; plenty; pot; quite a little; raft; sight; slew; spate; stack; tidy sum; wad

Context example:

a wad of money

Hypernyms ("wad" is a kind of...):

large indefinite amount; large indefinite quantity (an indefinite quantity that is above the average in size or magnitude)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "wad"):

deluge; flood; inundation; torrent (an overwhelming number or amount)

haymow (a mass of hay piled up in a barn for preservation)

Derivation:

wad (crowd or pack to capacity)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A wad of something chewable as tobacco

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

chaw; chew; cud; plug; quid; wad

Hypernyms ("wad" is a kind of...):

bit; bite; morsel (a small amount of solid food; a mouthful)

Derivation:

wad (compress into a wad)

• WAD (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they wad    ... he / she / it wads   
Past simple: wadded   
Past participle: wadded   
-ing form: wadding   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Compress into a wad

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

bundle; compact; pack; wad

Context example:

wad paper into the box

Hypernyms (to "wad" is one way to...):

arrange; set up (put into a proper or systematic order)

Verb group:

compact; pack (have the property of being packable or of compacting easily)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "wad"):

puddle (work a wet mixture, such as concrete or mud)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

wad (a wad of something chewable as tobacco)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Crowd or pack to capacity

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

chock up; cram; jam; jampack; ram; wad

Context example:

the theater was jampacked

Hypernyms (to "wad" is one way to...):

stuff (cram into a cavity)

Verb group:

cram (put something somewhere so that the space is completely filled)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP
Somebody ----s something with something

Derivation:

wad ((often followed by 'of') a large number or amount or extent)

 Context examples 

It’s cost me two hundred pound from first to last, so it isn’t likely I’d give it up without gettin’ my wad.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I sponged the wound, cleaned it, dressed it, and finally covered it over with cotton wadding and carbolised bandages.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Removing the wads from the latter with my knife, I emptied the powder on a flat rock.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The bell clanged and the car pulled out, leaving Martin wondering as to the nature of the crinkly, greasy wad he clutched in his hand.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Then three spare cords should be carried for each bow, with a great store of arrow-heads, besides the brigandines of chain mail, the wadded steel caps, and the brassarts or arm-guards, which were the proper equipment of the archer.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

If we had a quick voyage it would be no to our miscredit wi' the owners, or no hurt to our traffic; an' the Old Mon who had served his ain purpose wad be decently grateful to us for no hinderin' him.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Brissenden went home late that night; and just as he mounted the first step of the car, he swung suddenly back on Martin and thrust into his hand a small, tightly crumpled wad of paper.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Watching Tom I saw the wad of muscle back of his shoulder tighten under his coat. He walked quickly over to Wilson and standing in front of him seized him firmly by the upper arms.

(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)