Definition

1. Noun:
   • A chad that has been punched or dimpled but all four corners are still attached: A piece of paper from a punch card or ballot, where an indentation (a "dimple") has been made by a stylus or punch, but the paper fragment (the chad) remains connected at all four corners and is not fully detached.

Usage

• Noun:
  • The recount focused on ballots with dimpled chads, where voter intent was unclear.
  • Election officials had to examine each dimpled chad under a magnifying glass.

Advanced Usage

• "Hanging chad" vs. "Dimpled chad": In election terminology, a "hanging chad" is attached by one or two corners, while a (or "pregnant chad") is indented but fully attached. The term gained prominence during the 2000 U.S. presidential election recount in Florida.
  • The legal debate centered on whether a dimpled chad constituted a valid vote.

Variants and Related Words

• Chad (n): The small piece of paper removed when a hole is punched in paper tape or a card.
• Hanging chad (n): A chad that is dangling by one or two corners.
• Pregnant chad (n): A synonym for , emphasizing the bulging indentation.

Synonyms

• Pregnant chad: (A direct synonym in election contexts).

Notes

• This is a highly specific term from the context of data processing and, most famously, manual vote counting. It is not used in general conversation.

Noun

1. a chad that has been punched or dimpled but all four corners are still attached