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:
Keepers at Sydney's Taronga Zoo trained two sea lions and two fur seals to listen to sounds and press a paddle when they heard a tone.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
The canoe and kayak slalom paddle events for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics will take place at a white-water venue at the river complex.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 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
At Tower 208, a component known as a compression paddle was not securely bonded to the pylon, allowing debris to form and creating a dangerous air pocket, the filing said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
I, whose prowess in the water barely transcended a doggy paddle, undertake a swim of such scale that it could be traced on the map!
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Griffin added it was sad to see closures for a second summer running, but she stopped short of blaming maintenance issues alone, pointing to boaters who had hit gates or left lock paddles open.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
He improvised repairs using PVC pipes and kayak paddles to get his boat back on course.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
The car I drove, the 420 Sport, uses a Mercedes-AMG-supplied 2.0-liter turbo-four and eight-speed dual-clutch automated transaxle, actuated with beautifully weighted shift paddles behind the steering wheel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 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
When they arrived, the first thing Mama did was unroll the reed mats for the roof of the shelter, then the blankets, then take out new paddles and the cooking pot.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
As sellers waded through floodwaters to sell produce like fish and vegetables from floating platforms and foam boxes, buyers walked or paddled between the makeshift stalls to buy their groceries.
From BBC ● Sep. 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
Roughly a dozen people at the if-you-know-you-know event grooved and shuffled to EDM music while kayak enthusiasts paddled by and locals fished for carp.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 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
Williams was well aware of this, but as he paddled along holding on to a railroad tie, he inadvertently floated across the “line.”
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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
At the time, the surfer community in Ensenada turned out in force to commemorate the men by paddling out at one of the area's best known surfing spots and throwing flowers into the sea.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
The next morning, she protested her neighbor for the first time, grabbing a sign that said “Justice for All” and paddling back and forth in front of his home, hoping he would see.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 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
He started paddling, the raft moving sluggishly now that there was no real current.
From "The River" by Gary Paulsen
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