Link Centre Dictionary

paddle

UK/ˈpædl̩/ US/ˈpʰæ.ɾɫ̩/ fairly common slang uk
verb (6) noun (4)

verb

1.

propel with a paddle

  • “paddle your own canoe”
2.

play in or as if in water, as of small children

Synonyms
3.
4.

walk unsteadily

  • “small children toddle”
Synonyms
5.

give a spanking to; subject to a spanking

Synonyms
6.

stir with a paddle

noun

1.

small wooden bat with a flat surface; used for hitting balls in various games

2.

a blade of a paddle wheel or water wheel

3.

an instrument of punishment consisting of a flat board

4.

a short light oar used without an oarlock to propel a canoe or small boat

Synonyms

Origin

Partly from the verb paddle ("to splash, dabble"; see below) and partly from Middle English padell (“small spade”). Middle English padell is from Medieval Latin padela, itself of uncertain origin: perhaps an alteration of Middle English *spaddle (see also spaddle), a diminutive of spade; or from Latin patella (“pan, plate”), the diminutive of patina, or a merger of the two. Compare Ancient Greek πηδάλιον (pēdálion, “rudder, steering oar”), derived from πηδόν (pēdón, “the blade of an oar; an oar”).

Phrases

  • beer paddle
  • butter paddle
  • cactus paddle
  • dog paddle
  • doggie paddle
  • doggy paddle
  • paddle board
  • paddle boat
  • paddle one's own canoe
  • paddling pool

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.