wad / wäd/ • n. 1. a lump or bundle of a soft material, used for padding, stuffing, or wiping: a wad of cotton. ∎  chiefly hist. a disk of felt or another material used to keep powder or shot in place in a gun barrel. ∎  a portion of chewing gum, or of tobacco or another narcotic when used for chewing.2. a bundle of paper, banknotes, or documents: a thick wad of index cards. ∎ inf. a large amount of something, esp. money: she was working on TV and had wads of money.• v. (wad·ded, wad·ding) [tr.] [usu. as adj.] (wadded) 1. compress (a soft material) into a lump or bundle: a wadded handkerchief.2. stop up (an aperture or a gun barrel) with a bundle or lump of soft material: he had something wadded behind his teeth. ∎  line or stuff (a garment or piece of furniture) with wadding.PHRASES: shoot one's wad spend all one's money.

wad A variety of psilomelane, generally with the formula BaMn₈O₁₆(OH)₄ but copper and cobalt may substitute for manganese; hardness 5.5; dull, greyish-black; amorphous or earthy aggregates. It is precipitated from water in poorly drained, boggy ground.

wad †wadding; (dial.) bundle of hay, etc. XVI; tightly-rolled bundle XVIII. In form and early meaning corr. to Al. wadda wadding; obscurely rel. to Du. watten, F. ouate, It. ovatta padding, cotton-wool.
Hence wad vb. put a wad in (a gun, etc.) XVI; lay up in bundles XVII. wadding (-ING1) material for wads. XVII.

Wad

a little amount; a tuft or bundle; a heap or swathe.

Examples: wad of banknotes, 1899; of beans, 1856; of clovergrass, 1750; of cotton (a plug), 1861; of greenbacks (U. S. money); of groans; of hay, 1596; of hemp, 1799; of linen (to carry on the head), 1752; of lupins, 1601; of money; of peas, 1620; of reeds, 1886; of straw, 1573; of tobacco; of tow; of wheat, 1763.

Wad (or Wadh) Wadham College, Oxford