See Also: wampum(medicine)
wampum(dictionary)
wampum(encyclopedia)
wampum(dictionary)

wampum (iou)



wampum noun. Chiefly N. Amer. M17.
[Abbreviation of WAMPUMPEAG (falsely analysed as wampum + peag): cf. PEAG.]
Chiefly Hist. Beads made from the ends of shells rubbed down, polished, and threaded on strings, worn by N. American Indians as decoration or (formerly) used as money or for mnemonic or symbolic purposes. M17.
gen. Money. slang. L19.
Comb.: wampum snake any of several N. American colubrid snakes with black and red bands or stripes; esp. the mud snake, Farancia abacura, and the rainbow snake, Abastor erythrogrammus.