\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.