1. Small cylinder shaped beads made from shells; especially, white ones; often woven together or strung together, and used as currency, jewelry, ornaments, or for ceremonial purposes between North American Indian tribes: "Jake and Rebecca were very happy when they finally found a belt with strings of wampum on it which was just what they were looking for while they were spending their summer vacation in the northern parts of the United States."
2. Etymology: first used in 1636 and is a short form of wampumpeag; from Algonquian; literally, "white strings"; from wap, "white" + umpe, "string".