pregnant chad
2
9.9
- noun
- /ˈprɛɡnənt tʃæd/
- Jargon
:
chad embarazado
- Election workers debated whether a pregnant chad should count as a valid vote.
- pregnant chads, dimpled
- pregnant chads count
Examples
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The election was controversial due to the number of pregnant chads found.
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During the recount, officials examined every pregnant chad to determine voter intent.
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Several ballots were disqualified due to the presence of a pregnant chad.
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Many ballots had pregnant chads that confused voters.
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In the election recount, the officials debated whether to count the pregnant chad on this ballot as a valid vote.
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During the audit, the team discovered several pregnant chads that had not been properly accounted for.
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Voters were confused about the rules regarding pregnant chads, which could affect the outcome of the election.
Synonyms
3
9.9
A small piece of paper on a ballot pushed in with its corners still attached
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'pregnant' is used metaphorically to mean bulging or dimpled and 'chad' is a small punched paper piece, so a learner who knows both can plausibly infer this refers to a chad that is indented rather than fully detached. However, the exact technical condition (still attached at all four corners) and the specialised electoral jargon make the meaning partly domain-specific and not fully predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Pregnant chad comes from the look of a small paper square, a chad, that is pushed up into a little dome like a small bump, so people thought of it as pregnant. So the name is used for a chad that is 'dimpled' or indented but still attached at the corners when people count votes.