wad

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a small, compact mass of soft material, such as cotton, paper, or cloth

   The nurse pressed a wad of cotton against the cut.

2. 2
   noun

   material used as padding, packing, or a plug, especially in a firearm cartridge

   A thick wad separated the powder from the shot in the cartridge.

3. 3
   noun

   informal: a thick bundle of banknotes or a large amount of money

   He pulled a wad of notes from his coat pocket.

4. 4
   verb

   to crush, roll, or pack something into a compact mass

   She wadded the rejected sketch into a ball.

Probably shortened from Middle English wadmal, 'woollen cloth,' borrowed from Old Norse vadmal, literally 'cloth measure.' Related forms in Germanic languages developed senses of soft padding or a compact mass, from which the modern noun and verb arose.

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