Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

wad

/wɑd/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.06 in modern English

Syllables
wad
IPA
/wɑd/
7
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An amorphous, compact mass.

noun

A soft plug or seal, particularly as used between the powder and pellets in a shotgun cartridge, or earlier on the charge of a muzzleloader or cannon.

noun

A sandwich.

Slang

noun

An ejaculation of semen.

Slang

verb

To crumple or crush into a compact, amorphous shape or ball.

verb

To wager.

verb

To insert or force a wad into.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Probably short for Middle English wadmal (“woolen cloth”), from Old Norse váðmál (“woolen stuff”), from váð (“cloth”) + mál (“measure”). See wadmal. Cognate with Swedish vadd (“wadding, cotton wool”), German Wat, Watte (“wad, padding, cotton wool”), Dutch lijnwaad, gewaad, watten (“cotton wool”), West Frisian waad, Old English wǣd (“garment, clothing”) (English: weed). More at weed, meal.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /wɑd/
  • British English: /wɒd/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce wad?
The recorded pronunciation is /wɑd/.
What does wad mean?
An amorphous, compact mass.
Where does wad come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce wad

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “wad”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/wɑd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “wad”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “wad” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.