# pad
## English
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pæd/
* Audio (General Australian):(file)
* Hyphenation: pad
* Rhymes: -æd

### Etymology 1

1554, "bundle of straw to lie on", probably from 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.

#### Noun

pad (plural pads)
* A flattened mass of anything soft, to sit or lie on.
* A cushion used as a saddle without a tree or frame.
* A soft, or small, cushion.
* A soft area on the ends of a digit:
** A cushion-like thickening of the skin on the underside of the toes of animals.
** The mostly hairless flesh located on the bottom of an animal's foot or paw.
** Any cushion-like part of the human body, especially the ends of the fingers.
    Synonyms: palp, pulp
*** 1996, Stephen King, The Regulators: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.
* A stuffed guard or protection, especially one worn on the legs of horses to prevent bruising.
* A soft bag or cushion to relieve pressure, support a part, etc.
* A menstrual pad; a mass of absorbent material used to absorb menstrual flow.
** 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: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.
* (US) A floating leaf of a water lily or similar plant.
* (cricket) A soft cover for a batsman's leg that protects the player from damage when hit by the ball.
* 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.
* A panel or strip of material designed to be sensitive to pressure or touch.
* Ellipsis of keypad.
* Ellipsis of mouse pad.
* A flat surface or area from which a helicopter or other aircraft may land or be launched.
    Synonym: helipad
* An electrical extension cord with a multi-port socket on one end; a "trip cord".
* The effect produced by sustained lower reed notes in a musical piece, most common in blues music.
* (music) A synthesizer instrument sound used for sustained background sounds.
    Synonym: synth pad
* (US, slang) A bed.
* (colloquial) A small house, apartment, or mobile home occupied by a single person; such as a bachelor, playboy, etc.
* (UK, slang) A prison cell.
* (cryptography) A random key (originally written on a disposable pad) of the same length as the plaintext.
* (electronics) The amount by which a signal has been reduced.
** 1967, Db: The Sound Engineering Magazine - Volumes 1-2:It is a general practice to pad down a condenser mike with as much as a 20-30 dB pad.
* (nautical) A piece of timber fixed on a beam to fit the curve of the deck.
** 1875, William Clark Russell, Jilted – Or My Uncle's Scheme: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.

##### Hyponyms

* bachelorette pad
* barbell bar pad
* gamepad
* glide pad
* headpad
* heating pad
* incontinence pad
* joypad
* keypad
* landing pad
* launchpad
* mousepad
* neck pad
* notepad
* number pad
* one-time pad
* pawpad
* sanitary pad
* scratchpad
* sleeping pad
* touchpad
* trackpad

##### Derived terms

* bachelor pad
* barbell pad
* bar pad
* bat-pad
* batting pad
* bed pad
* Bichat's fat pad
* blotting pad
* booster pad
* boost pad
* brake pad
* breast pad
* brillo pad
* butt pad
* cattle pad
* changing pad
* cloth pad
* control pad
* crash pad
* dance pad
* desk pad
* digital pad
* directional pad
* d-pad
* D-pad
* fanny pad
* fat pad
* fat pad sign
* filter pad
* finger pad
* foot-pad
* foot pad
* frolic pad
* gamepad
* heel pad syndrome
* hip thrust pad
* Hoffa's fat pad
* ink-pad
* ink pad
* ironing pad
* joypad
* keypad
* knee pad
* knee-pad
* launch pad
* launchpad
* legal pad
* lily pad
* mama pad
* mattress pad
* maxi-pad
* meat pad
* mouse pad
* mousepad
* nose pad
* note pad
* notepad
* nursing pad
* pad cloth
* pad down
* pad elephant
* pad-mounted
* pad out
* pad paper
* pad play
* pad printing
* pad room
* pad saw
* pad stitch
* pad-tree
* PIN pad
* pole-pad
* pressing pad
* pressure pad
* pussy pad
* recoil pad
* saddle pad
* scent pad
* scourer pad
* scouring pad
* shell-pad
* shin pad
* shoulder pad
* sketch pad
* slicka pad
* soaker pad
* soap pad
* splash pad
* squat pad
* stamp pad
* steno pad
* stomp pad
* synth pad
* tail pad
* tea pad
* tongue-pad
* tooth pad
* touch pad
* touchpad
* trackpad
* upon the pad
* wrist pad
* writing pad

##### Translations
#### Verb

pad (third-person singular simple present pads, present participle padding, simple past and past participle padded)
* (transitive) To stuff.
* (transitive) To furnish with a pad or padding.
* (transitive) 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
** 2008 May 21, Austin American-Statesman:"Obama pads delegate lead […] with win in key western state."
* (transitive) To imbue uniformly with a mordant.
    to pad cloth
** 1819, Abraham Rees, The Cyclopædia:[…] to pad a piece in diluted acetate of alumine to obtain a pale lemon ground […]
* (transitive, cricket) To deliberately play the ball with the leg pad instead of the bat.

##### Derived terms

* pad up
* well-padded

##### Translations
### Etymology 2

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

#### Alternative forms

* padde

#### Noun

pad (plural pads)
* (British, dialectal) A toad.

##### Derived terms

* paddock
* padstool
* shelpad

### Etymology 3

From Dutch pad or Middle Low German pat (“path”). Doublet of path.

#### Noun

pad (plural pads)
* (British dialectal, Australia, Ireland) A path, particularly one unformed or unmaintained; a track made by animals.
** 1999, Julia Leigh, The Hunter, Faber & Faber 2012, p. 36:
    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.
* An easy-paced horse; a padnag.
** 1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “The Lady of Shalott”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, part the second, page 11: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.
* (British, obsolete) A robber who infests the road on foot; a highwayman or footpad.
** 1720, John Gay, “Fables”, in Poems on Several Occasions:A Pad came pacing down the way : / The Cur, with never-ceasing tongue , / Upon the passing trav'ler sprung
** 1819–1824, [Lord Byron], Don Juan, London, (please specify |canto=I to XVII):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 reconnoitre
* (British, obsolete) A tramp or itinerant musician.

##### Derived terms

* footpad
* on the pad
* stand pad

### Etymology 4

Perhaps an alteration of ped.

#### Noun

pad (plural pads)
* (British, dialectal) A type of wickerwork basket, especially as used as a measure of fish or other goods.

### Etymology 5

Probably partly from Middle Low German pat, partly imitative. Some senses possibly influenced by pad (“soft part of an animal's foot”, noun).

#### Verb

pad (third-person singular simple present pads, present participle padding, simple past and past participle padded)
* (transitive) To travel along (a road, path etc.).
** 1727, William Somervile, The Fortune Hunter:Padding the streets for half a crown.
* (intransitive) To travel on foot.
* (intransitive) To wear a path by walking.
** 1855, Robert Browning, Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, section XXII:Who were the strugglers, what war did they wage, / Whose savage trample thus could pad the dank / Soil to a plash? [...]
* (intransitive) To walk softly, quietly or steadily, especially without shoes.
** 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 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...
* (intransitive, obsolete) To practise highway robbery.
** 1689, Cotton Mather, Memorable Providences, Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions: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.

##### Derived terms

* high pad
* padding
* pad the hoof

##### Translations
### Etymology 6

Probably imitative, perhaps related to or influenced by Etymology 5, above.

#### Interjection

pad
* Indicating a soft flat sound, as of bare footsteps.
    I heard her soft footsteps, pad, pad along the corridor.

##### Translations
#### Noun

pad (plural pads)
* The sound of soft footsteps, or a similar noise made by an animal etc.

##### Translations
### Derived terms

* padless

### References

* Pad on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* ↑ Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “pad”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
* ↑ 1858, Peter Lund Simmonds, The Dictionary of Trade Products

### See also

* pad see ew
* pad thai

### Anagrams

* DAP, APD, PDA, dap, DPA, ADP

## Afrikaans
### Etymology

From Dutch pad.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [pɑt]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

pad (plural paaie, diminutive paadjie)
* path; way; street

## Dutch
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pɑt/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: pad
* Rhymes: -ɑt

### Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch pat, from Old Dutch path, from Proto-West Germanic *paþ, from Proto-Germanic *paþaz (“path”). Cognate with English path, West Frisian paad and German Pfad.

#### Noun

pad n (plural paden, diminutive paadje n)
* path (narrow road, usually unpaved)

##### Derived terms

* bergpad
* bospad
* duinpad
* fietspad
* gangpad
* geitenpad
* grindpad
* hazenpad
* kerkpad
* kiezelpad
* modderpad
* olifantenpad
* padvinder
* ruiterpad
* schelpenpad
* tuinpad
* voetpad
* wandelpad
* zandpad
* zijpad

##### Descendants

* Afrikaans: pad
* Berbice Creole Dutch: pata
* Jersey Dutch: pât, pāt
* Negerhollands: pad, pat

### Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch padde, pedde, from Old Dutch *padda, from Proto-West Germanic *paddā, from Proto-Germanic *paddǭ (“toad”).
Cognate with Old English padde (compare English paddock), Old Norse padda (Swedish padda, Danish/Norwegian padde).

#### Noun

pad f (plural padden, diminutive padje n)
* toad (an amphibian of the order Anura similar to a frog with shorter legs and more ragged skin)

##### Derived terms

* bruine pad
* donderpad
* gewone pad
* groene pad
* knoflookpad
* paddenstoel
* paddentrek
* padhagedis
* reuzenpad
* rugstreeppad
* schildpad
* Surinaamse pad
* vuurbuikpad
* vuurpad

##### Descendants

* Afrikaans: padda

### Etymology 3
#### Noun

pad c (plural padden, diminutive padje n)
* (cycling) the slot in the frame that accepts the axle of the wheel; dropout

## Hungarian
### Etymology

From a Slavic language, compare Serbo-Croatian pod.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈpɒd]
* Rhymes: -ɒd

### Noun

pad (plural padok)
* bench
* (education) desk (of students in school, traditionally built together with the seats)
    Synonym: iskolapad
* (religion) pew (in a church)
* (law) dock (of the defendant, in court), stand (of a witness, in court)
* (dialectal) attic, loft
    Synonym: padlás

#### Derived terms

* padocska
* pados
* padoz
* egérpad
* futópad
* kőpad
* szájpad
* színpad
* ülőpad
* zongorapad

### Further reading

* pad in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

## Old English
### Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *paidu, from Proto-Germanic *paidō.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pɑːd/

### Noun

pād f
* an outer garment, coat, cloak

#### Declension

Strong ō-stem:

#### Related terms

* hoppāda

#### Descendants

* Middle English: *pod (attested in pod ware)
** English: pod

## Polish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈpat/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -at
* Syllabification: pad
* Homophone: pat

### Etymology 1

Deverbal from padać.

#### Noun

pad m inan
* (sports) a quick fall with the whole body to the ground

### Etymology 2

Clipping of gamepad.

#### Noun

pad m inan
* (video games) gamepad
    Synonyms: gamepad, joypad

##### Declension
### Further reading

* pad in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* pad in Polish dictionaries at PWN

## Serbo-Croatian
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *padъ.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pâːd/

### Noun

pȃd m (Cyrillic spelling па̑д)
* fall

#### Related terms

* pȁsti

## Sumerian
### Romanization

pad
* Romanization of 𒉻 (pad)

## Volapük
### Noun

pad (nominative plural pads)
* page

#### Declension

$^1$ status as a case is disputed $^2$ in later, non-classical Volapük only