pad

pad¹

noun

1》 a thick piece of soft or absorbent material.

    ↘a protective guard worn over a part of the body by a sports player.

2》 the fleshy underpart of an animal's foot or of a human finger.

3》 a number of sheets of blank paper fastened together at one edge.

4》 a flat-topped structure or area used for helicopter take-off and landing or for rocket-launching.

5》 informal a person's home.

6》 Electronics a flat area on a track of a printed circuit or on the edge of an integrated circuit to which wires or component leads can be attached to make an electrical connection.

verb (pads, padding, padded)

1》 [often as adjective padded] fill or cover with a pad.

2》 (pad something out) lengthen a speech or piece of writing with unnecessary material.

3》 chiefly N. Amer. defraud by adding false items to (an expenses claim or bill).

4》 (pad up) (in cricket) put on protective pads.

Derivatives

padding noun

Origin

C16 (in the sense 'bundle of straw to lie on'): of uncertain origin; the meaning 'underpart of an animal's foot' is perh. related to Low Ger. pad 'sole of the foot'.

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pad²

verb (pads, padding, padded) walk with steady steps making a soft, dull sound.

noun the sound of such steps.

Origin

C16: from Low Ger. padden 'to tread, go along a path', partly imitative.