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• paddy
  paddy

  noun

  a rice field.
• Paddy
  Paddy

  noun

  an Irishman or a person of Irish descent.

paddy

¹ American  

[pad-ee] / ˈpæd i /

noun

paddies plural

1. a rice field.

2. rice, especially in the husk, either uncut or gathered.

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Paddy ² American  

[pad-ee] / ˈpæd i /

noun

Paddies plural

1. Slang: Often Offensive. an Irishman or a person of Irish descent.

2. a male given name.

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paddy ¹ British  

/ ˈpædɪ /

noun

1. Also called: paddy field.  a field planted with rice

2. rice as a growing crop or when harvested but not yet milled

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Paddy ² British  

/ ˈpædɪ /

noun

1. (sometimes not capital) an informal, often derogatory, name for an Irishman

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paddy ³ British  

/ ˈpædɪ /

noun

1. informal a fit of temper

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Sensitive Note

This term is used as a neutral nickname or term of address for an Irishman, though it may be perceived as insulting.

Etymology

Origin of paddy¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Malay padi “unhusked rice”; currency of this word in the English of India perhaps due to early association with Kannada batta, bhatta “unhusked rice” (from Indo-Aryan; compare Hindi, Marathi bhāt “cooked rice,” Sanskrit bhakhta “food, meal”)

Origin of Paddy²

Familiar variant of Irish Padraig Patrick; see -y ²

Explanation

A paddy is a field used for growing rice. Paddies are different from most other crop fields because they are partially flooded with water. If you plan on farming a rice paddy, you'll probably want to invest in a good pair of waterproof boots. There are a few kinds of rice that can grow in dry soil, but most need the soggy soil that a paddy provides. Most rice paddies are located in various parts of Asia, although they can also be found in Spain, Haiti, and the state of California. Another meaning of this word is "unmilled rice." The Malay root of paddy is padi, "rice in the straw."

Example Sentences

Liverpudlian Paddy Pimblett will also fight at UFC 329 at the T-Mobile Arena, taking on Frenchman Benoit Saint-Denis in his first bout since losing to Justin Gaethje in January.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

She notched a rarely achieved double, winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup in November and backed that up with success in Newbury's big race, the Coral Gold Cup.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Northern Ireland will be without Ali McCann, Ruairi McConville, Paddy McNair and Bailey Peacock-Farrell for the game in Wales, and O'Neill did suggest he would make changes to his starting team.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Power enjoyed Weekend Update especially, with news anchors Ania Magliano and Paddy Young "full of charm, as they side-eyed the camera and struggled to keep straight faces".

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

Dennis would still be here if it wasn’t for Paddy climbin’ the wall for the tongue.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt