wadding

noun

wad·​ding ˈwä-diŋ How to pronounce wadding (audio)
1
: wads or material for making wads
2
: a soft mass or sheet of short loose fibers used for stuffing or padding

Examples of wadding in a Sentence

the last step is to fill the pillow with wadding and stitch it closed
Recent Examples on the Web There was reportedly no wadding for the blanks. Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2021 The wadding that created those poofy numbers is made of sustainable wool, for example. Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2023 The kit comes with everything your astronaut friend needs, except for engines and recovery wadding. Matt Jancer, Wired, 17 Nov. 2021 However, even blanks can eject hot gases and paper or plastic wadding from the barrel that can be lethal at close range. Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2021 In Hexum’s case, for instance, the wadding used to hold the gunpowder in place shot out and the impact fractured his skull, sending bone fragments into his brain. Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 22 Oct. 2021 Dummy bullets had been replaced with cardboard wadding, but a portion from one of the dummy bullets had broken off and remained in the gun. Melissa Mahtani, CNN, 25 Oct. 2021 Even blanks can eject hot gases and paper or plastic wadding from the barrel that can be lethal at close range. CBS News, 23 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wadding.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wadding was in 1627

Dictionary Entries Near wadding

Cite this Entry

“Wadding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wadding. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wadding

noun
wad·​ding
ˈwäd-iŋ
1
: wads or material for making wads
2
: a soft mass or sheet of fibers used for stuffing or padding

Medical Definition

wadding

noun
wad·​ding ˈwäd-iŋ How to pronounce wadding (audio)
: a soft absorbent sheet of cotton, wool, or cellulose used especially in hospitals for surgical dressings

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