paddle
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paddle¹
- /ˈpædl̩/
- [ˈpʰæ.ɾɫ̩] US
Rhymes with -ædəl
Where it 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”).
noun paddles · paidle
- A single-bladed version is typically used on canoes and some other small boats.
- 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. (UK)
- A flat board with a number of holes or indentations, used to carry small alcoholic drinks such as shots. And it really is a paddle, too, with a blade big enough to hold several sampling glasses of different beers (known for some reason as a 'flight') for customers to try. Beer paddles have become very popular in American craft beer bars: […]
- 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. A large ( 13 x 25 cm ) paddle of skin was used to cover a large wound following a temporal bone resection.
- Alternative form of padel
verb paddles · paddling · paddled · paidle
- To propel something through water with a paddle, oar, hands, etc. as the Men were Paddling for their Lives
- To row a boat with less than one's full capacity.
- To spank with a paddle. Do you think we'll get paddled? They can't paddle me! I'm a girl!!
- To pat or stroke amorously or gently. to be paddling palms and pinching fingers.
- To tread upon; to trample.
paddle²
- /ˈpædl̩/
- [ˈpʰæ.ɾɫ̩] US
Rhymes with -ædəl
Where it 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”).
verb paddles · paddling · paddled
- To walk or dabble playfully in shallow water, especially at the seaside.
- To dog paddle in water.
- To toddle. […] little feet paddling round and about a man's bed and following wherever he went.
- To toy or caress using hands or fingers.
Paddle³
proper noun
- A surname.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: spank, dabble, larrup, waddle, toddle, totter, coggle, dodder, splash around, oar, rowing, boat, vessel, trainset, pallet, snowshoeing
Translations
Every language
noun two-handed, single-bladed oar
| Español | remo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 노 no |
| 日本語 | かい kai, 櫂 kai |
| 中文 | 槳 /桨 jiǎng |
| हिन्दी | चप्पू cappū, पतवार patvār |
| Português | remo |
| Français | pagaie, rame, aviron |
| Deutsch | Paddel |
| Italiano | pagaia |
| Ελληνικά | κουπί koupí |
| Русский | весло́ vesló |
| Tiếng Việt | chèo |
| العربية | مِجْدَاف mijdāf |
noun double-bladed oar used for kayaking
| Español | pala |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 패들 paedeul |
| 日本語 | パドル padoru |
| हिन्दी | पतवार patvār, चप्पू cappū |
| Português | remo |
| Français | pagaie |
| Deutsch | Doppelpaddel |
| Italiano | pagaia |
| Русский | весло́ vesló |
| Tiếng Việt | chèo |
noun use of a paddle; session of paddling
| Português | remada |
|---|---|
| Français | pagayage |
| Deutsch | Paddelei, Paddeltour |
| Русский | гре́бля gréblja |
noun slat of a paddleboat's wheel
| 日本語 | 羽根板 hane-ita |
|---|---|
| Français | pale |
| Deutsch | Schaufelblatt |
| Русский | ло́пасть lópastʹ, пли́ца plíca |
noun paddlewheel
| 日本語 | 外輪 gairin |
|---|---|
| Français | hélice |
| Deutsch | Schaufelrad |
| Italiano | ruota a pale |
| Русский | гребное колесо́ grebnoje kolesó |
noun blade of a waterwheel
| 日本語 | 受け板 ukeita, 羽根板 haneita |
|---|---|
| Français | pale, aube |
| Deutsch | Schaufel, Schaufelbrett |
| Italiano | pala, pala dell'elica |
| Русский | ло́пасть lópastʹ |
noun kitchen utensil
| 日本語 | しゃもじ shamoji, 杓文字 out of Jōyō Kanji |
|---|---|
| Português | espátula |
| Français | spatule |
| Deutsch | Blattrührer |
| Italiano | spatola |
| Русский | лопа́тка lopátka |
noun bat-shaped spanking implement
| Português | palmatória |
|---|---|
| Français | palette, palette à fessée |
noun equivalent of a racquet in ping-pong
| 日本語 | ラケット raketto |
|---|---|
| Português | raquete |
| Français | raquette, palette |
| Deutsch | Tischtennisschläger |
| Italiano | racchetta |
| Русский | раке́тка rakétka |
| العربية | مِضْرَب miḍrab |
noun flat limb of aquatic animal
| 日本語 | 水掻き mizukaki |
|---|---|
| Português | palma |
| Français | palme, nageoire, palette |
| Deutsch | Paddel |
| Русский | плавни́к plavník |
noun in a sluice, a panel that controls the flow of water
| 日本語 | 扉 tobira |
|---|---|
| Português | válvula |
| Français | volet |
| Deutsch | Schieber |
| Русский | затво́р zatvór |
verb to propel something through water with a paddle, hands or similar instrument
| Español | remar, bogar, ciar, paletear, cinglar |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 젓다 jeotda |
| 日本語 | 漕ぐ kogu |
| 中文 | 划 huá, 划船 huáchuán, 划槳 huájiǎng |
| Português | remar |
| Français | pagayer |
| Deutsch | paddeln, rudern |
| Русский | грести́ grestí |
| Tiếng Việt | chèo |
| العربية | جَدَّفَ jaddafa |
verb to row a boat with less than one's full capacity
| Deutsch | pätscheln |
|---|
verb to pat gently
| Deutsch | tätscheln |
|---|
verb to trample
| Deutsch | latschen |
|---|
Talk about this word "paddle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/paddle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. paddle. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/paddle "paddle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/paddle.Cite this
@misc{paddle_2026,
title = {paddle},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/paddle},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
