pad

PAD/pæd/

Pluralpads

44 meanings of pad

1
nouncountable
A soft cushion used to ease pressure or to support a part of the body.
Like a small pillow that takes the pressure off a sore spot.
The nurse placed a soft pad under his sore heel.
She slipped a pad between the strap and her shoulder.
Similarcushion
2
nouncountable
A block of paper sheets joined at one edge, used for writing or drawing.
Like a stack of paper held together so you can pull off one sheet at a time.
He tore a sheet from the pad to write a quick note.
She kept a small pad by the phone for messages.
Similarnotepad, notebook, jotter, tablet
Note
3
nouncountable
A flat surface where a helicopter or other aircraft can land or take off.
Like a parking spot, but for a helicopter.
The helicopter touched down gently on the hospital pad.
Crews cleared snow from the landing pad before takeoff.
Similarhelipad, platform
4
nouncountable
The soft, mostly hairless skin on the bottom of an animal's foot or paw.
Like the cushioned bottom of a soft shoe.
The dog had a thorn stuck in the pad of its paw.
Hot pavement can burn the soft pad of a dog's foot.
5
nouncountable
A piece of soft material worn to soak up blood during a period.
She kept a spare pad in her bag for school.
The store sells pads in several sizes.
6
nouncountable
A flat piece of material that reacts when you press or touch it.
Like a button that knows when your finger touches it.
He tapped the pad to unlock the door.
The drum machine has rubber pads you hit with your fingers.
Similarsensor, panel
7
nouncolloquialcountable
A small home or apartment where one person lives.
He invited a few friends over to his new pad.
Her downtown pad is small but really stylish.
Similarplace, apartment, flat, crib
8
nounUScountable
A flat leaf of a water lily that floats on the surface of the water.
Like a little floating raft for a frog.
A frog sat on a green pad in the middle of the pond.
Dragonflies rested on the pads near the shore.
Note
9
verbtransitive
To make something bigger by adding extra parts that are not needed.
Like adding water to soup to make it look like more.
He padded his essay with long quotes to reach the word count.
Don't pad the report with useless details.
Similarinflate, stretch, fatten, lengthen
Oppositetrim, cut
Note
10
nouncountable
A soft guard worn on a cricket player's leg to protect it from the ball.
Like a shin guard a soccer player wears, but bigger.
The batsman strapped a pad to each leg before going out.
A fast ball struck his pad instead of his shin.
Note

11
verbtransitive
To add a soft layer to something to make it safer or more comfortable.
Like wrapping something breakable in soft cloth so it won't get hurt.
They padded the walls of the play area for safety.
Workers pad the corners of the table so children don't get hurt.
Similarcushion, line
12
nounabbreviationellipsis
Short for keypad. It means the small set of buttons you press to enter numbers or a code.
Press the green button on the pad to start the machine.
She typed the code into the door pad and stepped inside.
Note
13
nounAustraliaUSabbreviationellipsis
Short for mouse pad. It is the flat mat you move a computer mouse on.
He wiped the dust off his pad before plugging in the mouse.
Her pad has a soft wrist rest along one edge.
Note
14
verbtransitive
To fill something with soft material to make it firm or thick.
Like filling a pillow with feathers.
She padded the cushion with cotton until it felt firm.
Workers pad the crate with straw to protect the jars.
Similarstuff, fill, line, cushion
15
nouncountable
A soft, cushion-like part of the body, especially the tip of a finger.
Like the soft tip at the end of each finger.
She pressed the pad of her thumb against the screen.
The pads of his fingers were rough from playing guitar.
16
nouncountable
The soft, cushiony part on the bottom of an animal's foot.
Like the soft rubber on the bottom of a shoe.
The dog licked the sore pad on his front paw.
A cat's pads help it walk without making a sound.
Note
17
nounslangUScountable
A casual word for a bed, or the place where someone sleeps.
Like calling your bed your spot for the night.
I crashed on his pad after the party ran late.
She kept her pad neat with fresh sheets every week.
Similarbed, sack, bunk
Note
18
nouncountable
A flat, soft mass that you can sit or lie on.
Like a thin mattress you can lay on the floor.
She put a thick pad on the floor for the baby to nap.
We stacked a few pads in the corner for guests to sleep on.
Similarmat, mattress, cushion
Note
19
nouncountable
A small, soft cushion you can rest something on.
Like a tiny pillow.
She rested her arm on a little pad while she sewed.
The chair came with soft pads sewn onto the seat.
Similarcushion, pillow
20
nouncountable
A smooth, steady background sound made by an electronic keyboard.
Like a soft cushion of sound behind the main tune.
He added a soft pad under the melody to fill out the song.
The track uses warm pads to make it feel calm.
Note
21
nouncountable
A soft, stuffed guard worn to protect a body part from getting hurt.
Like soft padding that keeps a knock from leaving a bruise.
The groom wrapped a thick pad around the horse's leg.
Workers wear knee pads so the hard floor does not hurt them.
Similarguard
22
nouncountable
A soft cushion used in place of a saddle, with no hard frame.
Like sitting on a firm cushion instead of a hard chair.
She rode along the trail on just a soft pad.
Young riders sometimes learn on simple pads instead of saddles.
23
nounslangcountable
A casual word for a flat tablet computer you hold in your hands.
Like a thin computer about the size of a book.
She watched movies on her pad during the long trip.
He reads the news on his pad every morning.
Similartablet
Note
24
verbtransitive
In cricket, to stop the ball with your leg pad on purpose instead of hitting it with the bat.
Like blocking a ball with your shin instead of kicking it.
He chose to pad the ball away rather than risk a catch.
She padded the delivery safely past her legs.
Note
25
nouncountable
In secret codes, a random key as long as the message it hides.
Like a list of secret numbers used once and then thrown away.
Each letter was scrambled using a number from the pad.
The spies destroyed the pad after sending one message.
Note
26
nouncountable
The soft, low sound of quiet footsteps, or a like noise from an animal.
Like the quiet sound of someone walking in socks.
We heard the soft pad of feet in the hall.
The pad of paws came closer in the dark.
Similarpatter, tread, footfall
27
interjection
Used to show a soft, flat sound, like that of bare feet stepping.
Pad, pad. Her bare feet crossed the cold kitchen floor.
Pad! went the kitten's paws as it landed on the rug.
Note
28
nouncountable
An extension cord with several plug holes on one end.
Like a strip with several outlets so you can plug in many things at once.
He plugged all the lights into one pad behind the couch.
We needed another pad to power the tools in the garage.
Similarextension
29
nounslangUKcountable
A slang word for a prison cell.
Like a small locked room you cannot leave.
He spent the whole night locked in his pad.
The guards searched every pad on the wing.
Similarcell
Note
30
nouncountable
The amount that a signal has been made weaker.
Like turning down the volume by a set amount.
The engineer set a 10-decibel pad to lower the loud signal.
Adding a pad kept the sound from coming through too strong.
Similarattenuator
Note
31
noun
Long low notes from reed instruments held under a tune, often in blues.
32
noun
A wooden block fixed to a ship's beam to give the deck its curve.
33
verb
To soak cloth evenly with a chemical that helps dye stay on.
34
noundialectalBritish
A word for a toad in some British dialects.
35
noundialectalAustraliaBritishIreland
A rough path, often one made by animals walking.
36
noun
A horse with a smooth, easy pace that is comfortable to ride.
37
nounobsoleteBritish
A robber who stopped people on roads and was on foot.
A Pad came pacing down the way : / The Cur, with never-ceasing tongue , / Upon the passing trav'ler sprung
1720, John Gay, “Fables”
38
nounobsoleteBritish
A homeless wanderer, or a musician who travels around.
39
noundialectalBritish
A woven basket used to measure fish and other things.
40
verb
To walk a road from place to place.
41
verb
To go somewhere by walking.
42
verb
To make a track by walking over the same ground many times.
43
verb
To walk quietly and softly, often with no shoes on.
44
verbobsolete
To stop and rob people on roads.
Their chief Argument is, That they never saw any Witches, therefore there are none. Just as if you or I should say, We never met with any Robbers on the Road, therefore there never was any Padding there.
1689, Cotton Mather, Memorable Providences

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–25, 28–30

First used in 1554 to mean a bundle of straw to lie on. It probably comes from a Low German or West Flemish word 'pad' meaning 'sole of the foot'.

Meanings 26–27

It is probably imitative of a sound, and perhaps related to or influenced by the earlier 'pad' (Etymology 5).