3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Wampum  \Wam"pum\,  n.  [North  American  Indian  wampum,  wompam  from 
  the  Mass.  w['o]mpi,  Del.  w[=a]pe,  white.] 
  Beads  made  of  shells,  used  by  the  North  American  Indians  as 
  money,  and  also  wrought  into  belts,  etc.,  as  an  ornament. 
 
  Round  his  waist  his  belt  of  wampum.  --Longfellow. 
 
  Girded  with  his  wampum  braid.  --Whittier. 
 
  Note:  These  beads  were  of  two  kinds,  one  white,  and  the  other 
  black  or  dark  purple.  The  term  wampum  is  properly 
  applied  only  to  the  white;  the  dark  purple  ones  are 
  called  suckanhock.  See  {Seawan}.  ``It  [wampum] 
  consisted  of  cylindrical  pieces  of  the  shells  of 
  testaceous  fishes,  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long,  and  in 
  diameter  less  than  a  pipestem,  drilled  .  .  .  so  as  to 
  be  strung  upon  a  thread.  The  beads  of  a  white  color, 
  rated  at  half  the  value  of  the  black  or  violet,  passed 
  each  as  the  equivalent  of  a  farthing  in  transactions 
  between  the  natives  and  the  planters.''  --Palfrey. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  wampum 
  n  1:  small  beads  made  from  polished  shells  and  formerly  used  as 
  money  by  native  Americans  [syn:  {peag}] 
  2:  small  cylindrical  beads  made  from  polished  shells  and  used 
  by  certain  Native  American  peoples  as  jewelry 
 
  From  U.S.  Gazetteer  (1990)  [gazetteer]: 
 
  Wampum,  PA  (borough,  FIPS  80880) 
  Location:  40.88647  N,  80.33880  W 
  Population  (1990):  666  (308  housing  units) 
  Area:  2.4  sq  km  (land),  0.1  sq  km  (water) 
  Zip  code(s):  16157 

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