Ads, adds or adze

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Grammarist

Ads, adds and adze are all words that are pronounced in the same way but are spelled differently and have different meanings. They are homophones. We will look at the meanings of the words ads, adds and adze, where these words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.

Ads is the plural form of ad, which is a shortened, informal form of the word advertisement. The word ad was first used in 1841.

Adds is the third person singular tense of the word add, which means to increase, to join one thing to another, to put numbers together in order to arrive at a sum. The word add is a transitive verb, which is a verb that takes an object. Related words are add, adding, addition. The word add is derived from the Latin word addere, which means to join, to attach.

An adze is a woodworking tool that is similar to an axe, with an arched blade attached at right angles to the handle. Adze may be used as a noun or a verb, meaning to cut with an adze. Related words are adzes, adzes, adzing. The word adze is derived from the Old English word adese which means hatchet. The Oxford English Dictionary lists an alternative American spelling of adz, though it is rarely seen.

Examples

Whether funny, sad, self-referential or downright weird, Super Bowl ads have become a spectacle and tradition in their own right. (TIME Magazine)

Pitt adds Canadian forward Shamiel Stevenson to its basketball recruiting class (The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Kaumatua Sandy Parata, accompanied by three other kaumatua, Jim Turahui, Wikitoria Parata and Teoiroa Luke, received the adze which had traditional and Christian karakia spoken over it as part of the ceremony. (The New Zealand Herald)