wampumpeag

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wam·pum·peag

 (wŏm′pəm-pēg′, wôm′-)
n.
White shell beads used as wampum.
[Massachusett.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

wam•pum

(ˈwɒm pəm, ˈwɔm-)

n.
1. cylindrical beads made from shells, pierced and strung, used by North American Indians as a medium of exchange, for ornaments, and for ceremonial and spiritual purposes.
2. Informal. money.
[1630–40; short for wampumpeag]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.wampumpeag - small cylindrical beads made from polished shells and fashioned into strings or beltswampumpeag - small cylindrical beads made from polished shells and fashioned into strings or belts; used by certain Native American peoples as jewelry or currency
peag, wampum
beads, string of beads - several beads threaded together on a string
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Mentioned in
References in periodicals archive
The word wampum is a shortened form of wampumpeag or wampumpeake, an Algonquian word of southern New England meaning a string of shell beads.
Quahogs in eastern North America: Part I, biology, ecology, and historical uses
Tobacco was also used in the early days of colonial America--until increased production devalued it as money--in addition to many other items such as maize, wheat, and wampumpeag (strings of white shells), which became legal tender when coins were in short supply.
On the money: the origins and varieties of common currency
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