pad [D, paden, cushion] , 1. a mass of soft material used to cushion shock, prevent wear, or absorb moisture, such as the abdominal pads used to absorb discharges from abdominal wounds or to separate viscera and improve accessibility during abdominal surgery. 2. (in anatomy) a mass of fat that cushions various structures, such as the infrapatellar pad lying below the patella among the patellar ligament, the head of the tibia, and the femoral condyles.
