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Webster 1913 Edition

Paddle

Pad′dle

,
Verb.
I.
[Prob. for
pattle
, and a dim. of
pat
, v.; cf. also E.
pad
to tread, Prov. G.
paddeln
,
padden
, to walk with short steps, to paddle, G.
patschen
to splash, dash, dabble, F.
patouiller
to dabble, splash, fr.
patte
a paw. √21.]
1.
To use the hands or fingers in toying; to make caressing strokes.
[Obs.]
Shak.
2.
To dabble in water with hands or feet; to use a paddle, or something which serves as a paddle, in swimming, in paddling a boat, etc.
As the men were
paddling
for their lives.
L’Estrange.
While
paddling
ducks the standing lake desire.
Gay.

Pad′dle

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Paddled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Paddling
]
1.
To pat or stroke amorously, or gently.
[Obsolescent]
To be
paddling
palms and pinching fingers.
Shakespeare
2.
To propel with, or as with, a paddle or paddles.
3.
To pad; to tread upon; to trample.
[Prov. Eng.]

Pad′dle

,
Noun.
[See
Paddle
,
Verb.
I.
]
1.
An implement with a broad blade, which is used without a fixed fulcrum in propelling and steering canoes and boats.
2.
The broad part of a paddle, with which the stroke is made;
hence,
any short, broad blade, resembling that of a paddle, such as that used in table tennis.
Thou shalt have a
paddle
upon thy weapon.
Deut. xxiii. 13.
3.
One of the broad boards, or floats, at the circumference of a water wheel, or paddle wheel.
4.
A small gate in sluices or lock gates to admit or let off water; – also called
clough
.
5.
(Zool.)
A paddle-shaped foot, as of the sea turtle.
6.
A paddle-shaped implement for stirring or mixing.
7.
[In this sense prob. for older
spaddle
,
a dim
.
of spade
.]
See
Paddle staff
(b), below.
[Prov. Eng.]
Paddle beam
(Shipbuilding)
,
one of two large timbers supporting the spring beam and paddle box of a steam vessel.
–
Paddle board
.
See
Paddle
,
Noun.
, 3.
–
Paddle shaft
,
the revolving shaft which carries the paddle wheel of a steam vessel.
–
Paddle staff
.
(a)
A staff tipped with a broad blade, used by mole catchers.
[Prov. Eng.]
(b)
A long-handled spade used to clean a plowshare; – called also
plow staff
.
[Prov. Eng.]
–
Paddle steamer
,
a steam vessel propelled by paddle wheels, in distinction from a screw propeller.
–
Paddle wheel
,
the propelling wheel of a steam vessel, having paddles (or floats) on its circumference, and revolving in a vertical plane parallel to the vessel's length.

Webster 1828 Edition

Paddle

PAD'DLE

,
Verb.
I.
[L. pes,pedis,the foot, and this is allied to Gr., to tread.]
1.
To row; to beat the water, as with oars.
2.
To play in the water with the hands, as children; or with the feet, as fowls or other animals.
3.
To finger.

PAD'DLE

,
Verb.
T.
To propel by an oar or paddle.

PAD'DLE

,
Noun.
[In L. batillus is a paddle-staff; in Gr. a pole.]
1.
An oar, but not a large oar. It is now applied to a sort of short oar used in propelling and steering canoes and boats.
2.
The blade or the broad part of an oar or weapon.
Thou shalt have a paddle on thy weapon. Deut.23.

Definition 2024

paddle

paddle

English

Paddle
Sunrise paddling

Alternative forms

  • paidle

Noun

paddle ‎(plural paddles)

  1. A two-handed, single-bladed oar used to propel a canoe or a small boat.
  2. A double-bladed oar used for kayaking.
  3. Time spent on paddling.
    We had a nice paddle this morning.
  4. A slat of a paddleboat's wheel.
  5. A paddlewheel.
  6. A blade of a waterwheel.
  7. (video games, dated) A game controller with a round wheel used to control player movement along one axis of the video screen.
  8. (Britain) A meandering walk or dabble through shallow water, especially at the seaside.
  9. A kitchen utensil shaped like a paddle and used for mixing, beating etc.
  10. A bat-shaped spanking implement
    The paddle practically ousted the British cane as the spanker's attribute in the independent US
  11. A ping-pong bat.
  12. 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
  13. In a sluice, a panel that controls the flow of water.
  14. A group of inerts
  15. A handheld defibrillation/cardioversion electrode
Derived terms
Translations
See also

Verb

paddle ‎(third-person singular simple present paddles, present participle paddling, simple past and past participle paddled)

  1. (transitive) To propel something through water with a paddle, oar, hands, etc.
  2. (intransitive) To row a boat with less than one's full capacity.
  3. (transitive) To spank with a paddle.
  4. To pat or stroke amorously or gently.
    • Shakespeare
      to be paddling palms and pinching fingers.
  5. To tread upon; to trample.
Translations

Etymology 2

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”).

Verb

paddle ‎(third-person singular simple present paddles, present participle paddling, simple past and past participle paddled)

  1. (intransitive, Britain) To walk or dabble playfully in shallow water, especially at the seaside.
  2. To toddle
  3. (archaic, intransitive) To toy or caress using hands or fingers
Translations

German

Verb

paddle

  1. First-person singular present of paddeln.
  2. First-person singular subjunctive I of paddeln.
  3. Third-person singular subjunctive I of paddeln.
  4. Imperative singular of paddeln.

Etymology

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 *spaddle, a diminutive of spade; or from Latin patella ‎(“pan, plate”), the diminutive of patina, or a merger of the two.

Pronunciation

  • (US) IPA(key): /'pædl̩/, /'pæ.dəl/
  • Rhymes: -ædəl

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