pad

noun35

1. •
   a small, soft thing put on or under something so that it is protected or more comfortable
2. •
   A flattened mass of anything soft, to sit or lie on.
3. •
   A cushion used as a saddle without a tree or frame.
4. •
   A stuffed guard or protection, especially one worn on the legs of horses to prevent bruising.
5. •
   A soft bag or cushion to relieve pressure, support a part, etc.
6. •
   A soft cover for a batsman's leg that protects the player from damage when hit by the ball.
7. •
   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.
8. •
   A flat surface or area from which a helicopter or other aircraft may land or be launched.
9. •
   A soft area on the ends of a digit.
10. •
    A cushion-like thickening of the skin on the underside of the toes of animals.
11. •
    The mostly hairless flesh located on the bottom of an animal's foot or paw.
12. •
    Any cushion-like part of the human body, especially the ends of the fingers.
13. •
    A menstrual pad; a mass of absorbent material used to absorb menstrual flow.
14. •
    A panel or strip of material designed to be sensitive to pressure or touch.
15. •
    Ellipsis of keypad.
16. •
    (informal) A small house, apartment, or mobile home occupied by a single person, such as a bachelor, playboy, etc.
17. •
    (UK, slang) A prison cell.
18. •
    (US) A floating leaf of a water lily or similar plant.
19. •
    (slang) a tablet PC
20. •
    Ellipsis of mouse pad.
21. •
    An exposed area of copper on a printed circuit board meant for connecting wires or electronic components.
22. •
    The effect produced by sustained lower reed notes in a musical piece, most common in blues music.
23. •
    A synthesizer instrument sound used for sustained background sounds.
24. •
    The sound of soft footsteps, or a similar noise made by an animal etc.
25. •
    (US, slang) A bed.
26. •
    The 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
27. •
    A random key (originally written on a disposable pad) of the same length as the plaintext.
28. •
    An electrical extension cord with a multi-port socket on one end; a "trip cord".
29. •
    (dialect, UK) 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
30. •
    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
31. •
    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
32. •
    (dialect, UK) A type of wickerwork basket, especially as used as a measure of fish or other goods.
33. •
    (dialect, UK) A toad.
34. •
    (UK, no longer used) 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 sprung — 1720
35. •
    (UK, no longer used) A tramp or itinerant musician.

verb11

1. •
   To walk with soft steps.
2. •
   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
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
4. •
   To stuff.
5. •
   To furnish with a pad or padding.
6. •
   To travel along (a road, path etc.).

   • Padding the streets for half a crown. — 1727
7. •
   To travel on foot.
8. •
   To deliberately play the ball with the leg pad instead of the bat.
9. •
   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
10. •
    To imbue uniformly with a mordant.

    • […] to pad a piece in diluted acetate of alumine to obtain a pale lemon ground […] — 1819
11. •
    (no longer used) To practise highway robbery.

exclamation1

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

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

noun1

1. •
   Initialism of peripheral artery disease.