wampum

Clipped from wampumpeag (from Narragansett; compare the opposite clipping peag), which is a compound of wamp, wompi (“white”) + umpe (“string”) + -ag (plural suffix), and referred to the string of white shell-beads rather than the individual beads.

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɒmpəm/

wampum (countable and uncountable, plural wampums or wampum)

1. Small beads made from polished shells, especially white ones, formerly used as money and jewelry by certain Native American peoples.
2. A string of such beads.
3. (slang) Money.

• (small shells, beads, &c.): seawan, peag; porcelain (such objects or strings of them)

• (white shells): suckanhock (black shells)

• wampum belt