noun

• (uncountable) Small cylindrical beads made from polished shells (especially white ones) which have been strung together, formerly used by Native American peoples of eastern North America for various purposes including as jewellery and money, and for record-keeping; (countable, archaic) one such bead.
  "[A]mong the Red Men of America the giving of the white belt of wampum was the deepest pledge of honor; […]"
• (uncountable, slang) Money.
  "[Kenneth O'Keefe, letter] Have that seven quid. Or else I'll be kaput. […] [Sebastian Dangerfield, letter in reply] Kenneth, we all want wampum. And as you must know, if only I had some I would be only too willing to share. But the only thing I have here is a pile of business magazines which I am going to burn for a fire."
• (countable, obsolete) Ellipsis of wampum snake (“the common kingsnake or eastern kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula)”).