UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈpæd/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/pæd/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(pad)
pad1(pad),USA pronunciationn., v.,pad•ded, pad•ding. n.
a cushionlike mass of soft material used for comfort, protection, or stuffing.
Dog and Cat Breeds, a soft, stuffed cushion used as a saddle; a padded leather saddle without a tree.
a number of sheets of paper glued or otherwise held together at one edge to form a tablet.
a soft, ink-soaked block of absorbent material for inking a rubber stamp.
Anatomy, ZoologyAnat., Zool. any fleshy mass of tissue that cushions a weight-bearing part of the body, as on the underside of a paw. See diag. under dog.
Zoologythe foot, as of a fox, hare, or wolf.
Medicinea piece or fold of gauze or other absorbent material for use as a surgical dressing or a protective covering.
ZoologyZool. a pulvillus, as on the tarsus or foot of an insect.
Botanya lily pad.
RocketrySee launch pad.
Slang Terms
one's living quarters, as an apartment or room.
one's bed.
a room where people gather to take narcotics; an addicts' den.
Slang Terms
money paid as a bribe to and shared among police officers, as for ignoring law violations.
a list of police officers receiving such money.
ElectricityElect. a nonadjustable attenuator consisting of a network of fixed resistors.
BuildingShipbuilding.
a metal plate riveted or welded to a surface as a base or attachment for bolts, hooks, eyes, etc.
a piece of wood laid on the back of a deck beam to give the deck surface a desired amount of camber.
Building[Carpentry.]
a handle for holding various small, interchangeable saw blades.
Also, pod. a socket in a brace for a bit.
MetallurgyMetall. a raised surface on a casting.
Metallurgya small deposit of weld metal, as for building up a worn surface.
Idioms, Slang Termson the pad, [Slang.](of a police officer) receiving a bribe, esp. on a regular basis.
v.t.
to furnish, protect, fill out, or stuff with a pad or padding.
to expand or add to unnecessarily or dishonestly: to pad a speech; to pad an expense account.
Metallurgyto add metal to (a casting) above its required dimensions, to insure the flow of enough metal to all parts.
v.i.
Metallurgyto insure the proper forging of a piece.
origin, originally special uses of obsolete pad bundle to lie on, perh. blend of, blended pack1 and bed 1545–55
pad2(pad),USA pronunciationn., v.,pad•ded, pad•ding. n.
a dull, muffled sound, as of footsteps on the ground.
Dog and Cat Breedsa road horse, as distinguished from a hunting or working horse.
a highwayman.
British TermsBrit. Dial. a path, lane, or road.
v.t.
to travel along on foot.
to beat down by treading.
v.i.
to travel on foot; walk.
to walk so that one's footsteps make a dull, muffled sound.
Middle Dutch padden to make or follow a path, cognate with Old English pæththan to traverse, derivative of pæthpath; defs. 1, 8 perh. represent an independent expressive word that has been influenced by other senses
Middle Dutch or Low German padpath (origin, originally argot; hence, apparently, "highwayman'' and "horse''); (verb, verbal)