as in money
something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment
made some real wampum on that last business deal
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of wampum
Some of their gear—a pair of shoes, a VHF radio, a wampum sash worth several thousand dollars—now resides on the canal’s bottom.
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Ben McGrath, The New Yorker, 3 July 2023
There is a really quite amazing scene when Civility and Satcheechoe take a string of wampum and wrap it around the Pennsylvania governor’s arm to symbolically pull him to Albany to meet with all the Native people who have become involved in this case.
—Karin Wulf, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2021
Not only were these beads a coveted status symbol, but the powerful Mohawk of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (or Five Nations Iroquois) of what is now upstate New York, raided coastal peoples who did not furnish wampum for Haudenosaunee rituals.
—National Geographic, 19 Nov. 2020
Many of his pieces are horizontal, recalling the forms of early panoramic art and the woven wampum belts that are a cultural touchstone of his people.
—New York Times, 4 Oct. 2021
See all Example Sentences for wampum 
Ben McGrath, The New Yorker, 3 July 2023
There is a really quite amazing scene when Civility and Satcheechoe take a string of wampum and wrap it around the Pennsylvania governor’s arm to symbolically pull him to Albany to meet with all the Native people who have become involved in this case.
—Karin Wulf, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2021
Not only were these beads a coveted status symbol, but the powerful Mohawk of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (or Five Nations Iroquois) of what is now upstate New York, raided coastal peoples who did not furnish wampum for Haudenosaunee rituals.
—National Geographic, 19 Nov. 2020
Many of his pieces are horizontal, recalling the forms of early panoramic art and the woven wampum belts that are a cultural touchstone of his people.
—New York Times, 4 Oct. 2021
See all Example Sentences for wampum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wampum
Noun
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How the money from the sale of the Ohtani ball will be divided is in dispute.Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2024
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Tafoya said that the individual agreed to protect his job and assist him financially in exchange for the money.Madeline Armstrong | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 15 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Advertisement The Onion offered $1.75 million in cash and other incentives for Infowars’ assets in the auction.Dave Collins, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
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The same can be said for things like gifted cash for a down payment or side hustle earnings.Ana Teresa Solá, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Survivor: Thailand The fake merge and brutal last challenge — where the final three had to hold coins between their fingers in a crazy painful pose — keep this dud out of the bottom spot.Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2024
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For a purer measure, Blockchain Center’s Altcoin Season Index excludes stablecoins and wrapped coins.Marie Poteriaieva, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In that podcast, Atkins expressed support for a digital currency that is not controlled by the government.Bob Pisani, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2024
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All technologies exist on a spectrum and the entire tech world works together in some sense, but things can and will change, so Web3 builders shouldn’t be rigid with maximalist notions, like Bitcoin being the only currency the world needs.Jordan Yallen, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
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These jeans effortlessly combine that style with Gaines’ front-seam trend, with gleaming gold buttons and a wide-leg silhouette.Jamie Allison Sanders, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024
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This lightweight knit cardigan with its gold buttons can be worn as a top (my favorite way!), over a bodysuit or tank with a pair of leather pants, or with light-wash denim and sneakers.Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 7 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Wampum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wampum. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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