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

However, many have defended Ilett and most responses to his appearance on the leading Stretford Paddock podcast were positive.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

“These are young families fighting so many battles trying to work and find transportation and housing and buy food. They’re up against so much,” said Nina Paddock, an administrator at Pacific Clinics Head Start.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2025

Richard C. Paddock and Muktita Suhartono, along with the photographer Nyimas Laula, spent three days on Pulau Rhun to document life on the remote island.

From New York Times • Feb. 9, 2024

Tiësto and John Legend performed together from the roof of the exclusive Paddock Club, where top-tier tickets could set attendees back $40,000.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 17, 2023

We kept forward, though, moving toward them, and came upon a Valley with a Farm House of Stone, fallen to Bits, & a Paddock of Horses.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• oval
• track