Wantum

noun, verb

noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A quantifiable deficiency or desire

    "Her quantum of wantum cannot vary."

Verb
  1. 1
    To want.

    "Then he have wongie along Sargint in office feller. White blackfeller wantum know 'bout old Sarah, an' Sargint he tellum she goodoh."

Example

More examples

"Then he have wongie along Sargint in office feller. White blackfeller wantum know 'bout old Sarah, an' Sargint he tellum she goodoh."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Eye dialect for want 'em.

Etymology 2

Blend of want + quantum, coined by Irish writer Samuel Beckett.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.