wad

/wɔd/
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wad

He used a wad of cotton to wipe the counter.

Definition
  1. Noun:

    • A small, soft mass of material: A compact, often rounded, lump or ball of a soft substance like cotton, paper, or fabric.
    • A thick roll or bundle of paper money: (Informal) A folded or rolled stack of banknotes.
    • A large amount or quantity: (Informal, often followed by 'of') A considerable number or extent of something.
  2. Verb:

    • To compress into a dense mass: To press or squeeze something, like paper or cloth, into a tight, compact ball or lump.
    • To pad or stuff with soft material: To line or fill something by inserting a soft mass for protection, warmth, or shape.
    • To crowd or pack tightly: To fill a space completely.
Examples of Usage
  • Noun:

    • The dentist placed a wad of cotton in my cheek after the procedure.
    • He pulled out a thick wad of cash to pay for the car.
    • She received a wad of letters in the mail today.
  • Verb:

    • Please wad up the scrap paper and throw it away.
    • They wadded the jacket with down for extra warmth.
    • Fans wadded into the stadium before the big game.
Advanced Usage
  • "Wad (something) up": To crumple something, especially paper, into a ball.

    • He wadded up the failed drawing and tossed it toward the trash can.
  • "Shoot one's wad": (Idiomatic, informal) To spend all of one's money, or to use all of one's resources or energy on a single effort.

    • He shot his wad on the new business venture and had nothing left.
Variants and Related Words
  • Wadding (n): Soft material used for padding, stuffing, or packing.
    • The quilt was filled with polyester wadding.
Synonyms
  • Noun (mass): Lump, ball, plug, pad, bundle.
  • Noun (money): Roll, bundle, stack.
  • Noun (large amount): Pile, heap, slew, lot.
  • Verb (compress): Crumple, ball up, compress, pack.
  • Verb (stuff): Pad, cushion, fill, pack.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Wad up: To crumple into a compact mass.
    • She wadded up the receipt and put it in her pocket.
Related Idioms
  • A wad of cash/money: A thick fold or roll of paper currency.

    • He always carries a wad of cash in his front pocket.
  • Blow one's wad: (Vulgar slang) Similar to "shoot one's wad," meaning to spend all of one's money, often recklessly.

    • He blew his wad at the casino and had to walk home. (Note: This idiom is informal and can be considered crude.)
wad

He used a wad of cotton to wipe the counter.

Noun
  1. a wad of something chewable as tobacco
  2. (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent
    • a batch of letters
    • a deal of trouble
    • a lot of money
    • he made a mint on the stock market
    • see the rest of the winners in our huge passel of photos
    • it must have cost plenty
    • a slew of journalists
    • a wad of money
  3. a small mass of soft material
    • he used a wad of cotton to wipe the counter
Verb
  1. crowd or pack to capacity
    • the theater was jampacked
  2. compress into a wad
    • wad paper into the box