As a Noun: 1. In a vehicle, a thin block of friction-producing material that presses against a brake disc or rotor to enable the wheel to stop. English = brake pads. Note: 1. There appears to be no commonly used Auslan sign for BRAKE PADS for most signers (but some signers represent this visually using these depicting signs, once they have established the topic). This sign is a compound of the Auslan sign BRAKE and a depicting sign to indicate two surfaces closing around another object. Source of this suggested sign: Victorian College for the Deaf.