1. a small piece of paper or cardboard produced by punching a hole in a card or tape
Usage: common in computing and data processing contexts
2. a small scrap or fragment of material
Usage: general use

Examples

• The old punch card left chads scattered across the floor.
• Hanging chads on ballots caused controversy during the election.
• The printer produced chads as it processed the paper tape.
• She swept up the tiny chads from the hole punch.
• Computer operators had to clean up chads from the card reader.
• The cardboard was full of small chads after the die-cutting machine finished.