puddle

American  

[puhd-l] / ˈpʌd l /

noun

• puddles
  plural

1. a small pool of water, as of rainwater on the ground.

2. a small pool of any liquid.

3. clay or the like mixed with water and tempered, used as a waterproof lining for the walls of canals, ditches, etc.

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verb (used with object)

puddled, puddling

1. to mark or scatter with puddles.

2. to wet with dirty water, mud, etc.

3. to make (water) muddy or dirty.

4. to muddle or confuse.

5. to make (clay or the like) into puddle.

6. to cover with pasty clay or puddle.

7. Metallurgy. to subject (molten iron) to the process of puddling.

8. to destroy the granular structure of (soil) by agricultural operations on it when it is too wet.

9. Horticulture. to dip the roots of (a tree, shrub, etc.) into a thin mixture of loam and water to retard drying out during transplanting.

verb (used without object)

puddled, puddling

1. to wade in a puddle.

   The children were puddling.

2. to be or become puddled.

   The backyard was puddling.

puddle British  

/ ˈpʌdəl /

noun

1. a small pool of water, esp of rain

2. a small pool of any liquid

3. a worked mixture of wet clay and sand that is impervious to water and is used to line a pond or canal

4. rowing the patch of eddying water left by the blade of an oar after completion of a stroke

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verb

1. (tr) to make (clay, etc) into puddle

2. (tr) to subject (iron) to puddling

3. (intr) to dabble or wade in puddles, mud, or shallow water

4. (intr) to mess about

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• puddler
  noun
• puddly
  adjective
• unpuddled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• puddles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of puddle

1300–50; (noun) Middle English puddel, podel, pothel, apparently diminutive of Old English pudd ditch, furrow (akin to Low German pudel puddle); (v.) late Middle English pothelen, derivative of the noun

Explanation

A puddle is a small pool, such as one that forms on a sidewalk after a rain shower. A little boy with new rain boots might decide to jump in every puddle he sees on his way to school. It's charming to see a puddle on a brick walkway or to watch a duck wash itself in a puddle. It's less charming to find a puddle in your basement after three days of rain. You can use puddle as a verb, too, to say, "I'm watching your cereal milk puddle in the middle of the table and wondering when you're planning to clean it up." Puddle comes from the Old English pudd, "ditch or furrow."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

puddle puddles puddled puddling

"There's a hosepipe ban and we are wasting water and it's causing a huge puddle in the street that cars splash through," she added.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

“Any time Lenore says the word ‘sugah,’ it just makes me melt into a puddle on the floor,” Winderbaum says, laughing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

The result is crusty, chewy and deeply satisfying — exactly the kind of bread that begs for a puddle of olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky salt.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

As we watched the group wander about, a female capybara waded into a mud puddle along the truck path and rolled around happily.

From Slate ● May 27, 2026

It’s easier to run on the sidewalk than on the trail, at least, but a car zooms through a puddle, splashing our legs with brown road water.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Cullmann had noticed tadpoles on a previous visit after heavy rains and returned the following month to find ponds and puddles full of young bullfrogs.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

As access reopened mid-morning, AFP saw the blackened remains of several burnt-out cars along roads near Omis, some ringed by silver puddles of metal that had melted under the intense heat of the fires.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Armed with flashlights, dozens of community members stepped into the darkened Westlake Theatre, sidestepping puddles and broken glass as they imagined what the century-old movie palace could become.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

I realized I want to raise kids who are going to jump in mud puddles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026

And our heels had worn small round bowls into it large enough to hold puddles of mussels before St. Patrick’s Day, and limpets after that.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

When the slow-moving storm system finally moves out of Southern California on Wednesday, sanitation crews will rush in to mop up any remaining sewage puddled on the streets.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 7, 2024

A thick fog hung over the area, and the ground was puddled from rain water.

From New York Times ● Mar. 11, 2023

Video posted by a WTVF-TV reporter shows the water puddled up on the main floor’s concourse area and the team store.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 25, 2022

As rain poured and puddled on the sideline at Ross-Ade Stadium, the Purdue mascot dared the cheerleader to jump into the water.

From Fox News ● Oct. 2, 2021

Dandelion, crouching beside Hazel, got up at the mention of “clever rabbits,” made his way across the puddled floor and returned with Blackberry and Fiver.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Others, fabricated from translucent amber resin that has hardened to a glossy sheen, are low and horizontal, oozing and puddling across the floor like pools of blood or toxic spills.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2024

"There have been numerous local measurements and theoretical discussions regarding the effects of water puddling on ice albedo," Kaczmarowski said.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 15, 2024

With water puddling on the infield dirt in various places, Ray got a pair of ground balls to end the inning.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 13, 2022

“There’s plenty of puddling and stuff already,” he said, “so I just assume that we’re probably going to get a taste of what we had a couple weeks ago.”

From Washington Times ● Aug. 30, 2017

I turn to see Levi’s chocolate milk puddling across the table.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

Related Words

• pond