Pad vs. Wad — What's the Difference?

A thin, cushionlike mass of soft material used to fill, to give shape, or to protect against jarring, scraping, or other injury.

Wad is an old mining term for any black manganese oxide or hydroxide mineral-rich rock in the oxidized zone of various ore deposits. Typically closely associated with various iron oxides.

(Sports) A piece of equipment consisting of shaped cushioning material often attached to a hard outer surface and worn to protect against blows, collisions, or shots.

A small mass of soft material, often folded or rolled, used for padding, stuffing, or packing.

A flexible saddle without a frame.

A compressed ball, roll, or lump, as of tobacco or chewing gum.

An ink-soaked cushion used to ink a rubber stamp.

A plug, as of cloth or paper, used to retain a powder charge in a muzzleloading gun or cannon.

A number of sheets of paper of the same size stacked one on top of the other and glued together at one end; a tablet.

A disk, as of felt or paper, used to keep the powder and shot in place in a shotgun cartridge.

The broad floating leaf of an aquatic plant such as a water lily.

(Informal) A large amount

The flattened fleshy stem of a cactus such as a prickly pear. Also called paddle1.

A sizable roll of paper money.

The fleshy underside of the end of a finger or toe.

A considerable amount of money.

The cushionlike flesh on the underside of the toes and feet of many animals.

Vulgar Slang An ejaculation of semen.

The foot of such an animal.

To compress into a wad

A launch pad.

To pad, pack, line, or plug with wadding

A helipad.

To hold (shot or powder) in place with a wad.

A keypad.

To insert a wad into (a firearm).

A touchpad.

An amorphous, compact mass.

(Slang) One's living quarters, especially an apartment.

A substantial pile (normally of money).

A muffled sound resembling that of soft footsteps.

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.

A horse with a plodding gait.

(slang) A sandwich.

To line or stuff with soft material.

An ejaculation of semen.

To lengthen or increase, especially with extraneous or false information

(dialect) Plumbago, graphite.

To go about on foot.

(mineralogy) Any black manganese oxide or hydroxide mineral rich rock in the oxidized zone of various ore deposits.

To move or walk about almost inaudibly.

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

To go along (a route) on foot

(Ulster) To wager.

A flattened mass of anything soft, to sit or lie on.

To insert or force a wad into.

A cushion used as a saddle without a tree or frame.

To stuff or line with some soft substance, or wadding, like cotton.

A soft, or small, cushion.

Woad.

A cushion-like thickening of the skin on the under side of the toes of animals.

A little mass, tuft, or bundle, as of hay or tow.

The mostly hairless flesh located on the bottom of an animal's foot or paw.

Specifically: A little mass of some soft or flexible material, such as hay, straw, tow, paper, or old rope yarn, used for retaining a charge of powder in a gun, or for keeping the powder and shot close; also, to diminish or avoid the effects of windage. Also, by extension, a dusk of felt, pasteboard, etc., serving a similar purpose.

Any cushion-like part of the human body, especially the ends of the fingers.

A soft mass, especially of some loose, fibrous substance, used for various purposes, as for stopping an aperture, padding a garment, etc.

A stuffed guard or protection, especially one worn on the legs of horses to prevent bruising.

An earthy oxide of manganese, or mixture of different oxides and water, with some oxide of iron, and often silica, alumina, lime, or baryta; black ocher. There are several varieties.

A soft bag or cushion to relieve pressure, support a part, etc.

To form into a mass, or wad, or into wadding; as, to wad tow or cotton.

Ellipsis of menstrual pador sanitary pad: a mass of absorbent material used to absorb menstrual flow.

To insert or crowd a wad into; as, to wad a gun; also, to stuff or line with some soft substance, or wadding, like cotton; as, to wad a cloak.

(US) A floating leaf of a water lily or similar plant.

(often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent;

(cricket) A soft cover for a batsman's leg that protects it from damage when hit by the ball.

A wad of something chewable as tobacco

A kind of cushion for writing upon, or for blotting, especially one formed of many flat sheets of writing paper; now especially such a block of paper sheets as used to write on.

Compress into a wad;

A panel or strip of material designed to be sensitive to pressure or touch.

Crowd or pack to capacity;

Ellipsis of keypad: a small keyboard, a keyed device for entering tactile inputs into a machine.

A flat surface or area from which a helicopter or other aircraft may land or be launched.

An electrical extension cord with a multi-port socket on one end: "trip cord"

The effect produced by sustained lower reed notes in a musical piece, most common in blues music.

A synthesizer instrument sound used for sustained background sounds.

A bed.

(colloquial) A small house, apartment, or mobile home occupied by a single person; such as a bachelor, playboy, etc.

A prison cell.

(cryptography) A random key (originally written on a disposable pad) of the same length as the plaintext.

Ellipsis of mousepad: a firm but soft mass used for computer mice.

(electronics) The amount by which a signal has been reduced.

(nautical) A piece of timber fixed on a beam to fit the curve of the deck.

A toad.

A footpath, particularly one unformed or unmaintained; a road or track.

An easy-paced horse; a padnag.

A robber who infests the road on foot; a highwayman or footpad.

A tramp or itinerant musician.

A type of wickerwork basket, especially as used as a measure of fish or other goods.

The sound of soft footsteps, or a similar noise made by an animal etc.

(transitive) To stuff.

(transitive) To furnish with a pad or padding.

(transitive) To increase the size of, especially by adding undesirable filler.

(transitive) To imbue uniformly with a mordant.

To deliberately play the ball with the leg pad instead of the bat.

(transitive) To travel along (a road, path etc.).

(intransitive) To travel on foot.

(intransitive) To wear a path by walking.

(intransitive) To walk softly, quietly or steadily, especially without shoes.

To practise highway robbery.

Indicating a soft flat sound, as of bare footsteps.

A footpath; a road.

An easy-paced horse; a padnag.

A robber that infests the road on foot; a highwayman; - usually called a footpad.

The act of robbing on the highway.

A soft, or small, cushion; a mass of anything soft; stuffing.

A kind of cushion for writing upon, or for blotting; esp., one formed of many flat sheets of writing paper, or layers of blotting paper; a block of paper.

A cushion used as a saddle without a tree or frame.

A stuffed guard or protection; esp., one worn on the legs of horses to prevent bruising.

A cushionlike thickening of the skin one the under side of the toes of animals.

A floating leaf of a water lily or similar plant.

A soft bag or cushion to relieve pressure, support a part, etc.

A piece of timber fixed on a beam to fit the curve of the deck.

A measure for fish; as, sixty mackerel go to a pad; a basket of soles.

A dwelling place, usually an apartment; one's living quarters; as, come over to my pad to watch the game.

A sum of money paid as a bribe to police officers, shared among them;

To travel upon foot; to tread.

To travel heavily or slowly.

To rob on foot.

To wear a path by walking.

To stuff; to furnish with a pad or padding.

To imbue uniformly with a mordant; as, to pad cloth.

A number of sheets of paper fastened together along one edge

The large floating leaf of an aquatic plant (as the water lily)

A block of absorbent material saturated with ink; used to transfer ink evenly to a rubber stamp

A usually thin flat mass of padding

A platform from which rockets or space craft are launched

Temporary living quarters

The foot or fleshy cushion-like underside of the toes of an animal

Add details to

Walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud;

Line or stuff with soft material;

Add padding to;