paddock

¹ American  

[pad-uhk] / ˈpæd ək /

noun

1. a small, usually enclosed field near a stable or barn for pasturing or exercising animals.

2. the enclosure in which horses are saddled and mounted before a race.

3. Australian. any enclosed field or pasture.

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verb (used with object)

1. to confine or enclose in or as in a paddock.

paddock ² American  

[pad-uhk] / ˈpæd ək /

noun

1. Archaic. a frog or toad.

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paddock ¹ British  

/ ˈpædək /

noun

1. a small enclosed field, often for grazing or training horses, usually near a house or stable

2. (in horse racing) the enclosure in which horses are paraded and mounted before a race, together with the accompanying rooms

3. (in motor racing) an area near the pits where cars are worked on before races

4. any area of fenced land

5. a playing field

6. informal a stockroute or roadside area offering feed to sheep and cattle in dry times

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verb

1. (tr) to confine (horses, etc) in a paddock

paddock ² British  

/ ˈpædək /

noun

1. Also called (Scot): puddock.  archaic a frog or toad

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Etymology

Origin of paddock¹

1540–50; variant of Middle English parrok, with r heard as flapped d; Old English pearroc enclosure, originally fence. See park

Origin of paddock²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English paddok(e), derivative of early Middle English pad “toad” (compare English dialectal pad “frog”); akin to Dutch, Low German pad, Old Norse padda; see -ock

Explanation

A paddock is an area that holds racehorses before a race. Jockeys get the horses ready to go in the paddock. If you've ever gone to a horse race, or seen a race like the Kentucky Derby on TV, you've seen a paddock. This is the pen for the horses, where they hang out before racing. In the paddock, horses are saddled and paraded around by their jockeys. Two other meanings of paddock are related: one is a field for horses on a farm, and the other is an area for race cars to prepare before a race.

Example Sentences

The Vienna native had already made a fortune as a tech investor before he set foot on a Formula One paddock.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

There have been some concerns at the start of this year about what might be termed "systems over-reach", even if that's a phrase I have invented myself rather than one I've heard in the paddock.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Porsche Carrera Cup autograph session, Porsche Carrera Cup paddock, main expo hall; 12:05-1 p.m.,

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

The court previously heard Williams passed two police officers as he drove to the paddock, telling them: "There's lampers on my gallops, they are there now."

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Emboldened by Harry’s success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• oval
• track