Chad

a small paper disk or square formed when a hole is punched in a punch card or paper tape.
Lake, a lake in Africa at the junction of four countries: Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. 5000 to 10,000 sq. mi. (13,000 to 26,000 sq. km) (seasonal variation).
Official name Republic of Chad. a republic in N central Africa, E of Lake Chad: a member of the French Community; formerly part of French Equatorial Africa. 501,000 sq. mi. (1,297,590 sq. km).
Capital: N’Djamena.
Chadic.
a male given name.
noun
the small pieces of cardboard or paper removed during the punching of holes in computer printer paper, paper tape, etc
noun
a republic in N central Africa: made a territory of French Equatorial Africa in 1910; became independent in 1960; contains much desert and the Tibesti Mountains, with Lake Chad in the west; produces chiefly cotton and livestock; suffered intermittent civil war from 1963 and prolonged drought. Official languages: Arabic; French. Religion: Muslim majority, also Christian and animist. Currency: franc. Capital: Ndjamena. Pop: 11 193 452 (2013 est). Area: 1 284 000 sq km (495 750 sq miles) French name Tchad
Lake Chad, a lake in N central Africa: fed chiefly by the Shari River, it has no apparent outlet. Area: at fullest extent 10 000 to 26 000 sq km (4000 to 10 000 sq miles), varying seasonally; it has shrunk considerably in recent years
n.

also Mr. Chad, graffiti drawing of a head peering over a fence or wall, with the caption, “Wot, no ______?” (the U.S. version usually had “Kilroy was here”), in reaction to shortages and rationing, 1945, British, of unknown origin.

“hanging flap or piece after a hole is punched in paper,” a word unknown to most people until the 2000 U.S. presidential election (when the outcome hinged on partially punched paper ballots in some Florida counties), attested by 1930, of unknown origin.
n.

African nation, former French colony (Tchad), independent since 1960, named for Lake Chad, which is from a local word meaning “lake, large expanse of water.” An ironic name for such a desert country.

Landlocked desert republic in north-central Africa, bordered by Sudan to the east; the Central African Republic to the south; Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria to the west; and Libya to the north. N’Djamena is its capital and largest city.

Note: Chad was under French control until 1960.

jargon, printer
/chad/ (Or “selvage” /sel’v*j/ (sewing and weaving), “perf”, “perfory”, “snaf”). 1. The perforated edge strips on paper for sprocket feed printers, after they have been separated from the printed portion.
The term perf may also refer to the perforations themselves, rather than the chad they produce when torn.
[Why “snaf”?]
2. (Or “chaff”, “computer confetti”, “keypunch droppings”) The confetti-like bits punched out of punched cards or paper tape which collected in the chad box.
One of the Jargon File’s correspondents believed that “chad” derived from the chadless keypunch.
[Jargon File]
(1997-07-18)