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
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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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Combining the money of Robinson and Achiuwa at this deadline, which would be about $20 million in salary, is more than enough for New York to bring back a big who could help bolster the current group.James L. Edwards III, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
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That money likely belonged to the town’s wealthy mayor, who was known to keep coins stashed around his property.Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Dec. 2024
Noun
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There is also cash, lots and lots of cash (a man is seen counting money, another scene shows a person vacuuming up money off the floor, yet another shows two people physically fighting as money is thrown about nearby).Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Dec. 2024
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In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ended the federal ban on plunking down cash to pick winners and losers and spreads and place all kinds of exotic prop bets, leading to a rush of states, now 38 and counting, to get in the game.New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The sales of the Hawk Tuah coins also illustrate the power the internet has to lift people from obscurity to international stardom.Sean O'Driscoll, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
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People who own Bitcoin and other forms of digital coins are not refunded when a crypto exchange collapses in the same way depositors are at banks.Christopher White, Baltimore Sun, 22 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Meanwhile the naira currency languishes at record lows against the dollar.Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2024
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Bitcoin prices rallied to their latest all-time high during the week through Friday, December 20, as multiple variables, including some notable government developments, caused the digital currency to experience some compelling upside.Charles Lloyd Bovaird II, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Noun
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This spring, the jewelry brand Starling hosted a morning presentation at Montague Diner, where 14-karat gold necklaces and the decadent gemstone signet rings were playfully scattered around platters of classic breakfast fare.Laura Neilson, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024
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Also adding visibility to the collections, in September, seven-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles made a statement in Miu Miu sunglasses at the 2024 U.S. Open for men’s and women’s quarterfinal matches.Luisa Zargani, WWD, 19 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Wampum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wampum. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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