pad

plural pads

1. A flattened mass of anything soft, to sit or lie on.
2. A cushion used as a saddle without a tree or frame.
3. A soft, or small, cushion.
4. A soft area on the ends of a digit:
   1. A cushion-like thickening of the skin on the underside of the toes of animals.
   2. The mostly hairless flesh located on the bottom of an animal's foot or paw.
   3. Any cushion-like part of the human body, especially the ends of the fingers.

      1 more example

      Collie ignored him. Reached the finger further. Closer. And closer yet, until — […] Collie yanked his hand back and peered at it like a kid with an interesting new scrape. Then he turned to Steve and held it out. A bead of blood, small and dark and perfect, was forming on the pad of his index finger.

      1996, Stephen King, The Regulators

      Synonyms: palp, pulp

5. A stuffed guard or protection, especially one worn on the legs of horses to prevent bruising.
6. A soft bag or cushion to relieve pressure, support a part, etc.
7. A menstrual pad; a mass of absorbent material used to absorb menstrual flow.

   1 more example

   In this study, when the views of the mothers on the tiring/straining situations during their daughters’ adolescence are examined, it is determined that the mothers mostly have difficulties in using the pads of their daughters, cleaning the hairs in the armpit and genital area, and bathing their daughters.

   2024 July 2, Rukiye Arslan, Derya Yanık, Raziye Pekşen Akça, “Investigation of Menstrual Hygiene and Self-Care Skills of Adolescent Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Mother Views”, in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, →DOI

8. USA floating leaf of a water lily or similar plant.
9. ball gamesA soft cover for a batsman's leg that protects the player from damage when hit by the ball.
10. 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.
11. A panel or strip of material designed to be sensitive to pressure or touch.
12. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of keypad.
13. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of mouse pad.
14. A flat surface or area from which a helicopter or other aircraft may land or be launched.
15. An electrical extension cord with a multi-port socket on one end; a "trip cord".
16. The effect produced by sustained lower reed notes in a musical piece, most common in blues music.
17. entertainmentA synthesizer instrument sound used for sustained background sounds.

    Synonyms: synth pad

18. USslangA bed.
19. colloquialA small house, apartment, or mobile home occupied by a single person, such as a bachelor, playboy, etc.
20. UKslangA prison cell.
21. computingA random key (originally written on a disposable pad) of the same length as the plaintext.
22. businessThe amount by which a signal has been reduced.

    It is a general practice to pad down a condenser mike with as much as a 20-30 dB pad.

    1967, Db: The Sound Engineering Magazine - Volumes 1-2

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

    let us at least trust that the hair-pins will do their duty, and maintain the respectability of passion by holding the pads and puffs and frizettes in their proper places.

    1875, William Clark Russell, Jilted – Or My Uncle's Scheme

24. businessAn exposed area of copper on a printed circuit board meant for connecting wires or electronic components.
25. slangA tablet PC.

present singular third person pads · participle present padding · participle past padded · past padded

1. transitiveTo stuff.
2. transitiveTo furnish with a pad or padding.
3. transitiveTo increase the size of, especially by adding undesirable filler.

   pad one's expenses

   2 more examples

   The author began to pad her succinct stories with trite descriptions to keep up with current market trends.

   "Obama pads delegate lead […] with win in key western state."

   2008 May 21, Austin American-Statesman

4. transitiveTo imbue uniformly with a mordant.

   to pad cloth

   1 more example

   […] to pad a piece in diluted acetate of alumine to obtain a pale lemon ground […]

   1819, Abraham Rees, The Cyclopædia

5. transitiveball gamesTo deliberately play the ball with the leg pad instead of the bat.
6. To walk with soft steps.

   pad down the corridor

plural pads · alternative padde

1. UKdialectalA toad.

plural pads

1. AustraliaIrelandUKdialectalA path, particularly one unformed or unmaintained; a track made by animals.

   We led the horses along an animal pad that zigzagged down the one accessible descent.

   1937, Ion L. Idriess, Over the Range, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, published 1947, page 79

   1 more example

   And when the map shows that the creek will no longer take him where he wants to go, then he looks for an animal pad and follows it, getting down on his belly and wriggling under thorny bush when he has to.

   1999, Julia Leigh, The Hunter, Faber & Faber 2012, p. 36

2. An easy-paced horse; a padnag.

   Sometimes a troop of damsels glad, / An abbot on an ambling pad, / Sometimes a curly shepherd lad, / Or long-hair'd page, in crimson clad, / Goes by to Camelot.

   1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “The Lady of Shalott”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, part the second, page 11

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

   A Pad came pacing down the way : / The Cur, with never-ceasing tongue , / Upon the passing trav'ler sprung

   1720, John Gay, “Fables”, in Poems on Several Occasions

   1 more example

   These free-born sounds proceeded from four pads / In ambush laid, who had perceived him loiter / Behind his carriage; and, like handy lads, / Had seized the lucky hour to reconnoitre

   1819–1824, [Lord Byron], Don Juan, London, (please specify |canto=I to XVII)

4. UKobsoleteA tramp or itinerant musician.

plural pads

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

present singular third person pads · participle present padding · participle past padded · past padded

1. transitiveTo travel along (a road, path etc.).

   Padding the streets for half a crown.

   1727, William Somervile, The Fortune Hunter

2. intransitiveTo travel on foot.
3. intransitiveTo wear a path by walking.

   Who were the strugglers, what war did they wage, / Whose savage trample thus could pad the dank / Soil to a plash? [...]

   1855, Robert Browning, Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, section XXII

4. intransitiveTo walk softly, quietly or steadily, especially without shoes.

   Their feet padded softly on the ground, and they crept quite close to him, twitching their noses, while the Rabbit stared hard to see which side the clockwork stuck out...

   1921 June, Margery Williams, “The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real”, in Harper’s Bazar, volume LVI, number 6 (2504 overall), New York, N.Y.: International Magazine Company, →ISSN, →OCLC

5. intransitiveobsoleteTo practise highway robbery.

   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, Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions

1. Indicating a soft flat sound, as of bare footsteps.

   I heard her soft footsteps, pad, pad along the corridor.

plural pads

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

1. abbreviationinitialismuncountablemedicineInitialism of peripheral artery disease.