Etymology 1554, "bundle of straw to lie on". Unknown, and unclear all senses have common etymology. For sense "ends of a digit", cf. Low German or West Flemish pad (“sole of the foot”), perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pent- (“to pass”), which would make it related to both path and find.
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.
› A soft area on the ends of a digit:
4
A cushion-like thickening of the skin on the underside of the toes of animals.
5
The mostly hairless flesh located on the bottom of an animal's foot or paw.
6
Any cushion-like part of the human body, especially the ends of the fingers.
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:
7
A stuffed guard or protection, especially one worn on the legs of horses to prevent bruising.
8
A soft bag or cushion to relieve pressure, support a part, etc.
9
A menstrual pad; a mass of absorbent material used to absorb menstrual flow.
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:
10
US A floating leaf of a water lily or similar plant.
11
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A soft cover for a batsman's leg that protects the player from damage when hit by the ball.
12
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.
13
A panel or strip of material designed to be sensitive to pressure or touch.
14
Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of keypad.
15
Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of mouse pad.
16
A flat surface or area from which a helicopter or other aircraft may land or be launched.
17
An electrical extension cord with a multi-port socket on one end; a "trip cord".
18
The effect produced by sustained lower reed notes in a musical piece, most common in blues music.
19
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music A synthesizer instrument sound used for sustained background sounds.
Computing, Cryptography, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences A random key (originally written on a disposable pad) of the same length as the plaintext.
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:
25
Nautical, Transport A 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:
Etymology 1554, "bundle of straw to lie on". Unknown, and unclear all senses have common etymology. For sense "ends of a digit", cf. Low German or West Flemish pad (“sole of the foot”), perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pent- (“to pass”), which would make it related to both path and find.
1
To stuff.
2
To furnish with a pad or padding.
3
To increase the size of, especially by adding undesirable filler.
The author began to pad her succinct stories with trite descriptions to keep up with current market trends.
pad one's expenses
1 more example
"Obama pads delegate lead […] with win in key western state."2008 May 21, Austin American-Statesman:
4
To imbue uniformly with a mordant.
to pad cloth
[…] to pad a piece in diluted acetate of alumine to obtain a pale lemon ground […]1819, Abraham Rees, The Cyclopædia:
5
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports To deliberately play the ball with the leg pad instead of the bat.
Etymology Probably imitative, perhaps related to or influenced by Etymology 5, above.
1
Indicating a soft flat sound, as of bare footsteps.
I heard her soft footsteps, pad, pad along the corridor.
pad
noun
Etymology From Middle English pade, padde, from Old English padde, from Proto-West Germanic *paddā, from Proto-Germanic *paddǭ (“toad”). Cognate with Dutch pad, German Low German Pad (“toad”), dialectal German Padde, Danish padde, Swedish padda, Icelandic padda (“toad”), and possibly to English paddle. Doublet of pode
Etymology Probably partly from Middle Low German pat, partly imitative. Some senses possibly influenced by pad (“soft part of an animal's foot”, noun).
1
To travel along (a road, path etc.).
Padding the streets for half a crown.1727, William Somervile, The Fortune Hunter:
2
To travel on foot.
3
To 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
To 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:
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:
Etymology From Dutch pad or Middle Low German pat (“path”). Doublet of path.
1
Australia, Ireland, UK, Dialectal A 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:
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
UK, Obsolete A 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 sprung1720, John Gay, “Fables”, in Poems on Several Occasions:
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 reconnoitre1819–1824, [Lord Byron], Don Juan, London, (please specify |canto=I to XVII):