paddle.
A two-handed implement consisting of a shaft with one or two blades attached to the end(s) used to propel a canoe, kayak or a small boat. A paddle is unattached to the boat and freely operated with the hands, compared with an oar which is attached to the boat at a pivot point.
Meaning & usage
A two-handed implement consisting of a shaft with one or two blades attached to the end(s) used to propel a canoe, kayak or a small boat. A paddle is unattached to the boat and freely operated with the hands, compared with an oar which is attached to the boat at a pivot point. A single-bladed version is typically used on canoes and some other small boats.
A two-handed implement consisting of a shaft with one or two blades attached to the end(s) used to propel a canoe, kayak or a small boat. A paddle is unattached to the boat and freely operated with the hands, compared with an oar which is attached to the boat at a pivot point. A double-bladed version with blades at each end of the shaft is used for kayaking.
The use of a paddle to propel a boat; a session of paddling.
We had a nice paddle this morning.
A slat of a paddleboat's wheel.
A paddlewheel.
A blade of a waterwheel.
A game controller with a round wheel used to control player movement along one axis of the video screen.
A meandering walk or dabble through shallow water, especially at the seaside.
A kitchen utensil shaped like a paddle and used for mixing, beating etc.
A broad, flat spanking implement.
The paddle practically ousted the British cane for spankings in the independent US.
A broad, flat device used in striking the ball, analogous to a racket in tennis.
A flat board with a number of holes or indentations, used to carry small alcoholic drinks such as shots.
A flat limb of an aquatic animal, adapted for swimming.
A sea turtle's paddles make it swim almost as fast as land tortoises are slow.
In a sluice, a panel that controls the flow of water.
A handheld electrode used for defibrillation or cardioversion.
A flipper in a pinball machine.
A person's hand.
A flap of attached skin that has been cut away from a wound.
Alternative form of padel.
Where this word comes from
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”).
To propel something through water with a paddle, oar, hands, etc.
To row a boat with less than one's full capacity.
To spank with a paddle.
To pat or stroke amorously or gently.
To tread upon; to trample.
Where this word comes from
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”).
To walk or dabble playfully in shallow water, especially at the seaside.
To dog paddle in water.
To toddle.
To toy or caress using hands or fingers.
Where this word comes from
Recorded since 1530, probably cognate with Low German paddeln (“to tramp about”), frequentative form of padjen (“to tramp, run in short steps”), from pad (also in Dutch dialects). Compare also Saterland Frisian paddelje (“to paddle”).
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.