wad
wad — noun
- wadsingular
- wadsplural
1. a thick rounded bundle of thin items such as banknotes, sheets of paper, or fold
a thick rounded bundle of thin items such as banknotes, sheets of paper, or folded documents that are pressed or rolled together so they stay compact.
Kabir pulled a thick wad of hundred-dollar notes from his jacket pocket to buy the used car.
collocation: a thick wad of notes
The lawyer placed a wad of signed contracts on the desk before the meeting began.
a wad of + documents/papers
Naoko found a wad of old letters tied with a faded ribbon in her grandmother's drawer.
Harper handed the cashier a wad of crumpled receipts from the afternoon shopping trip.
Maja stuffed a wad of paper tickets into her coat pocket before boarding the overnight train.
- single note
one individual piece, not a bundle
文法句型
a wad of + plural noun (banknotes, papers, cash, documents)
用法筆記
When 'wad' refers to money, it always implies a bulky amount — not loose coins or a single bill, but a folded or rolled stack of notes thick enough to form a visible lump.
常見錯誤
2. a small soft lump of a loose or absorbent material — such as cotton, tissue, fab
a small soft lump of a loose or absorbent material — such as cotton, tissue, fabric, or chewing gum — shaped into a ball or pad for filling a space, cushioning an object, or pressing against a surface.
Tunde pressed a wad of cotton against the bleeding cut on his thumb and held it tight.
collocation: a wad of cotton (for medical use)
Reuben put a wad of sticky pink gum into his mouth and began to chew it slowly.
collocation: a wad of gum
Lakshmi used a small wad of tissue to wipe the dust carefully off the camera lens.
Asher stuffed a wad of old fabric into the gap beneath the door to block the cold draft.
The mechanic wiped the grease off his hands with a wad of oily rag from the bench.
- sheet
flat and spread out, not compressed into a lump
文法句型
a wad of + material (cotton, tissue, gum, fabric)
用法筆記
The same noun can describe both soft medical materials (cotton, gauze) and non-medical items (gum, fabric). The key feature is that the material has been compressed into a roughly round, soft lump by hand.
常見錯誤
wad — verb
- wadpresent simple I / you / we / they
- wads3rd person singular
- wadding-ing form
- waddedpast simple
1. to squeeze or crush a piece of soft, flexible material — such as paper, fabric,
to squeeze or crush a piece of soft, flexible material — such as paper, fabric, or tissue — into a tight ball or lump, usually without much care for its form.
Tariq nervously wadded the note into a tight ball and dropped it into the rubbish bin.
wad + object + into a (tight) ball
Anna wadded the damp paper towel into a lump and tossed it toward the kitchen sink from across the room.
Mauricio wadded the rejection letter into a crumpled ball before throwing it in the recycling basket.
Kabir wadded the receipt into a tight ball and shoved it deep into his coat pocket without looking at it.
文法句型
wad + noun (object) + adverb/preposition (up, into a ball, together)
用法筆記
Often carries an emotional tone of carelessness, frustration, or haste — you wad something when you are not being neat about it. The opposite action is 'to fold' (neat and deliberate).
常見錯誤
2. to fill a space, gap, or container tightly with soft material — such as cloth, n
to fill a space, gap, or container tightly with soft material — such as cloth, newspaper, or cotton — in order to cushion, protect, insulate, or block it.
Tuan wadded old newspapers into the box to protect the ceramic bowl during the move.
wad + material + into + container (for protection)
Anna wadded cotton into the pill bottle so the tablets would stop rattling around inside.
Maja wadded thin fabric strips into the cracks of the old window frame to block the cold wind.
The movers wadded crumpled newspaper between the furniture and the truck wall for extra padding.
- empty
to remove contents from a container
- hollow out
to remove material from inside
文法句型
wad + container + with + material (packing)
wad + material + into + container
用法筆記
Unlike 'fill' or 'pack', this sense of 'wad' suggests that the soft material is being pushed firmly into place, usually in irregular or narrow spaces, rather than neatly arranged.