pad

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A thick, soft piece of material used for protection, comfort, or to absorb liquid.

   He pressed a clean pad against the wound to stop the bleeding.

2. 2
   verb

   To add soft material to something to make it more comfortable or protective.

   They padded the seat of the chair so it was nicer to sit on.

3. 3
   verb

   To make something longer or bigger by adding unnecessary extra material.

   The writer padded her short story with dull descriptions.

4. 4
   verb

   To walk with quiet, soft steps.

   The cat padded silently across the kitchen floor.

From Middle English pade, padde, from Old English padde, from Proto-West Germanic *paddā, from Proto-Germanic *paddǭ (“toad”). Cognate with Dutch pad, German Low German Pad (“toad”), dialectal German Padde, Danish padde, Swedish padda, Icelandic padda (“toad”), and possibly to English paddle. Doublet of pode

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