wampum
[ wom-puh m, wawm- ]
/ ˈwɒm pəm, ˈwɔm- /
noun
Also called peag, seawan, sewan.
cylindrical beads made from shells, pierced and strung, used by North American Indians as a medium of exchange, for ornaments, and for ceremonial and sometimes spiritual purposes, especially such beads when white but also including the more valuable black or dark-purple varieties.
Informal.
money.
Origin of wampum
First recorded in 1630–40; short for
wampumpeag
Words nearby wampum
Example sentences from the Web for wampum
British Dictionary definitions for wampum
wampum
/ (ˈwɒmpəm) /
noun
(formerly) money used by North American Indians, made of cylindrical shells strung or woven together, esp white shells rather than the more valuable black or purple ones
US and Canadian informal
money or wealth
Also called:
peag,
peage
Word Origin for wampum
C17: short for
wampumpeag, from Narraganset
wampompeag, from
wampan light +
api string +
-ag plural suffix
Cultural definitions for wampum
wampum
[ (wahm-puhm) ]
Beads made from polished shells that some Native Americans once used as money and jewelry.