paddle
1 Americannoun
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paddles
plural
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a short, flat bladed oar for propelling and steering a canoe or small boat, usually held by both hands and moved more or less through a vertical arc.
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any of various similar implements used for mixing, stirring, or beating.
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any of various similar but smaller implements with a short handle for holding in one hand and a wide or rounded blade, used for a racket in table tennis, paddle tennis, etc.
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such an implement or a similarly shaped makeshift one, used to spank or beat someone.
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an implement used for beating garments while washing them in running water, as in a stream.
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Also called float, floatboard. a blade of a paddle wheel.
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any of the blades by which a water wheel is turned.
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a flipper or limb of a penguin, turtle, whale, etc.
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an act of paddling.
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British Dialect. Also pattle a small spade with a long handle, used to dig up thistles.
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(in a gate of a lock or sluice) a panel that slides to permit the passage of water.
verb (used without object)
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to propel or travel in a canoe or the like by using a paddle.
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to row lightly or gently with oars.
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to move by means of paddle wheels, as a steamer.
verb (used with object)
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to propel with a paddle.
to paddle a canoe.
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to spank or beat with or as with a paddle.
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to stir, mix, or beat with or as with a paddle
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to convey by paddling, as a canoe.
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to hit (a table-tennis ball or the like) with a paddle.
idioms
verb (used without object)
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to move the feet or hands playfully in shallow water; dabble.
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to toy with the fingers.
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to toddle.
noun
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a short light oar with a flat blade at one or both ends, used without a rowlock to propel a canoe or small boat
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Also called: float. a blade of a water wheel or paddle wheel
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a period of paddling
to go for a paddle upstream
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a paddle wheel used to propel a boat
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( as modifier )
a paddle steamer
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the sliding panel in a lock or sluicegate that regulates the level or flow of water
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any of various instruments shaped like a paddle and used for beating, mixing, etc
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a table-tennis bat
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the flattened limb of a seal, turtle, or similar aquatic animal, specialized for swimming
verb
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to propel (a canoe, small boat, etc) with a paddle
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to be self-sufficient
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to mind one's own business
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(tr) to convey by paddling
we paddled him to the shore
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(tr) to stir or mix with or as if with a paddle
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to row (a boat) steadily, esp (of a racing crew) to row firmly but not at full pressure
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(intr) (of steamships) to be propelled by paddle wheels
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(intr) to swim with short rapid strokes, like a dog
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informal (tr) to spank
verb
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to walk or play barefoot in shallow water, mud, etc
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to dabble the fingers, hands, or feet in water
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to walk unsteadily, like a baby
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archaic (tr) to fondle with the fingers
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of paddle1
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English noun padell “long-handled spade”; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Medieval Latin padela, padule
Origin of paddle2
First recorded in 1520–30; origin uncertain; perhaps from Low German paddeln “to tramp about”
Explanation
If you regularly ride around in a canoe, you’re undoubtedly already familiar with a paddle, a pole with a broad, flat end that is used to propel a boat forward. Nautical types will already know that the noun form of the word paddle refers to an implement with a flat blade used to move a boat through the water. The word can also be used to describe items with a similar look, such as a paddle used in table tennis or certain kinds of video games. The verb form of paddle refers to the action of navigating through the water, either in a boat using a paddle or as a swimmer who used the hands and feet to move around in shallow water.
Vocabulary lists containing paddle
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Drivers tick the right paddle shifter to select first gear, uh, first.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
Moments earlier, he’d gushed to a buddy that he was “so stoked” to paddle out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
The paddle was meant to be secured with four bolts, but only one bolt was used.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
On Thursday, the beachside felt calm as a woman was leisurely paddle boarding in the shallows while children played on the beach.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
I watch them paddle the longboat toward shore and think it almost feels too easy, this change in their plans.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
He improvised repairs using PVC pipes and kayak paddles to get his boat back on course.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
He has also designed boats, paddles and other waterproof products, and said he was curious about what materials had been used to paint the pool.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
German media have broadcast the hapless creature lying motionless in shallow water for hours on end, with men in diving suits splashing water on it using kayak paddles.
From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026
The beach is not one from which a surfer paddles out on his or her board, or escapes without being tossed about as if by a washing machine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026
The stream took him while they held their own boat back with their paddles.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
Some customers paddled by on rafts and boards, above what used to be the boardwalk.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Footage shot up and down the US east coast showed seaside homes battered by large waves while kayakers paddled through flooded city streets.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
We chose a tandem canoe and paddled our way up and down the river, watching the wildlife and soaking up the sun.
From Salon ● Jan. 13, 2026
Hundreds of swimmers and surfers paddled out at Bondi beach yesterday to create a giant circle to pay tribute to the victims of the attack.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2025
After another minute of tranquility she paddled again.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
These models suggest that the animal propelled itself through the water by paddling with its front legs and moving its tail in an undulating motion.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
The accident took place near the iconic Steamer Lane surf break, described by Surfer Today as the heart and soul of Santa Cruz surfing where locals have been paddling out since the 1930s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Several private schools in Ohio and Virginia permit paddling as discipline even though those states outlaw corporal punishment in public schools.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
Beneath the surface, though, investors are paddling furiously to navigate shifting financial currents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Right before you came, we saw Mr. DiAngelo paddling down the creek toward the river in his red kayak.”
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
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