pad (1) — ONAD

pad1 /pad, pæd

▸ noun

1 a thick piece of soft material used to reduce friction or jarring, enlarge or change the shape of something, or hold or absorb liquid:

sterile gauze pads.

▪ a protective guard worn by a sports player to protect a part of the body from blows:

cricket pads.

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

a dog's pads will bleed profusely if cut.

3 a number of sheets of blank paper fastened together at one edge, used for writing or drawing:

she sketched something on a big white pad.

4 a flat-topped structure or area used for helicopter takeoff and landing or for rocket launching:

an office building with a helicopter pad.

5 informal a person's home:

the police raided my pad.

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.

7 short for lily pad.

▸ verb

(pads, padding, padded)

[with object]

1 fill or cover (something) with soft material in order to protect it or its contents, make it more comfortable, or give it a particular shape:

the boxing gloves are padded with impact-resistant foam rubber

wrap dishes and glassware individually, and pad the box with paper or bubble wrap.

2 (usually pad something out) lengthen a speech, piece of writing, etc. with unnecessary material:

don't pad out your answer to make it seem impressive

the short review is padded with irrelevant blather about “Monty Python”.

3 North American add false items to (an expenses claim or bill) in order to receive unjustified payment:

the indictment alleges that he padded expenses and claimed wages for work he didn't do.

– ORIGIN mid 16th century (in the sense ‘bundle of straw to lie on’): the senses may not be of common origin; the meaning ‘underpart of an animal's foot’ is perhaps related to Low German pad ‘sole of the foot’; the history remains obscure.