English Explanatory Dictionary

wampum

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Small cylindrical beads made from polished shells (especially white ones) which have been strung together, formerly used by Native American peoples of eastern North America for various purposes including as jewellery and money, and for record-keeping; (countable, archaic) one such bead.
  2. Money.
  3. Ellipsis of wampum snake (“the common kingsnake or eastern kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula)”).

Pronunciation

/ˈwɒmpəm/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wampum.wav /ˈwɑmpəm/

Word forms

wampum wampums wompam

Etymology

Clipping of wampumpeag (“wampum”), probably borrowed from Massachusett wampompeage (“string of white beads used as money”). Compare peag (“string of white beads used as money”), also a clipping of wampumpeag. Noun sense 3 (“common kingsnake”) is from the similarity of the snake’s appearance to a string of wampum. Cognates Penobscot wάpαpəyak (singular wάpαpi) Unami òpapiàk (singular òpapi)

Synonyms

hiaqua peag porcelain seawan seawant ackers bees and honey blunt bones brass bread bread and honey Bugs Bunny cake cheddar cheese ching clams coin cream currency dinero dosh dough feds fedi finances flizz flow funding funds gravy gwop gwolla jack legal tender lolly lovely jubbly mazuma means money moola mozzarella muck oof ooftish paper rhino scratch scrilla shrapnel simoleons smackers smackeroos smackeroonies spend spondulicks swag wampum wonga

Derived words

wampum belt Wampumgate
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