paddle
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈpædl̩/
ipa: [ˈpʰæ.ɾɫ̩]
rhymes: -ædəl
Forms: form: paddles
form: paidle
Etymology: Partly from the verb paddle ("to splash, dabble"; see below) and partly from Middle English padell (“small spade”).
Middle English padell is from Medieval Latin padela, itself of uncertain origin: perhaps an alteration of Middle English *spaddle (see also spaddle), a diminutive of spade; or from Latin patella (“pan, plate”), the diminutive of patina, or a merger of the two. Compare Ancient Greek πηδάλιον (pēdálion, “rudder, steering oar”), derived from πηδόν (pēdón, “the blade of an oar; an oar”).
Senses: glosses: A two-handed implement consisting of a shaft with one or two blades attached to the end(s) used to propel a canoe, kayak or a small boat. A paddle is unattached to the boat and freely operated with the hands, compared with an oar which is attached to the boat at a pivot point.
A single-bladed version is typically used on canoes and some other small boats.
glosses: A two-handed implement consisting of a shaft with one or two blades attached to the end(s) used to propel a canoe, kayak or a small boat. A paddle is unattached to the boat and freely operated with the hands, compared with an oar which is attached to the boat at a pivot point.
A double-bladed version with blades at each end of the shaft is used for kayaking.
examples: text: We had a nice paddle this morning.
text: I managed one mighty paddle of 38km up the coast to Wicklow before the next bloody storm was due to hit.
ref: 2021, Jordan Wylie, The Power of the Paddle:
glosses: The use of a paddle to propel a boat; a session of paddling.
glosses: A slat of a paddleboat's wheel.
glosses: A paddlewheel.
glosses: A blade of a waterwheel.
topics: video-games
glosses: A game controller with a round wheel used to control player movement along one axis of the video screen.
glosses: A meandering walk or dabble through shallow water, especially at the seaside.
glosses: A kitchen utensil shaped like a paddle and used for mixing, beating etc.
examples: text: The paddle practically ousted the British cane for spankings in the independent US.
glosses: A broad, flat spanking implement.
examples: (UK)
synonyms: racket
bat
qualifier: table tennis
glosses: A broad, flat device used in striking the ball, analogous to a racket in tennis.
examples: text: And it really is a paddle, too, with a blade big enough to hold several sampling glasses of different beers (known for some reason as a 'flight') for customers to try. Beer paddles have become very popular in American craft beer bars: […]
ref: 2019, Ted Bruning, The Bar Owners' Handbook, page 111:
glosses: A flat board with a number of holes or indentations, used to carry small alcoholic drinks such as shots.
examples: text: A sea turtle's paddles make it swim almost as fast as land tortoises are slow.
glosses: A flat limb of an aquatic animal, adapted for swimming.
glosses: In a sluice, a panel that controls the flow of water.
glosses: A handheld electrode used for defibrillation or cardioversion.
glosses: A flipper in a pinball machine.
glosses: A person's hand.
examples: text: A large ( 13 x 25 cm ) paddle of skin was used to cover a large wound following a temporal bone resection.
ref: 2009, Berish Strauch, Luis O. Vasconez, M.d., Elizabeth J. Hall-Findlay, Grabb's Encyclopedia of Flaps - Volume 1, page 373:
text: About 10% of perforators to the skin paddle of the flap are septocutaneous blood vessels that travel though the intermuscular septum that separates the rectus femoris muscle from the vastus lateralis muscle.
ref: 2012, Mark L. Urken, Mack L. Cheney, Keith E. Blackwell, Atlas of Regional and Free Flaps for Head and Neck Reconstruction, page 235:
topics: medicine
sciences
glosses: A flap of attached skin that has been cut away from a wound.
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: Alternative form of padel.
Derived terms: beer paddle
butter paddle
cactus paddle
doggie paddle
doggy-paddle
doggy paddle
dog-paddle
dog paddle
paddleball
paddle board
paddleboard
paddle boat
paddleboat
paddle box
paddlebox
paddlecraft
paddlefish
paddlefoot
paddleful
paddle grass
paddleless
paddlelike
paddle-out
paddle pop
paddler
paddle scoop
paddle shifter
paddlesport
paddle-staff
paddle steamer
paddle-tailed newt
paddle tennis
paddlewheel
paddle wheel
paddle wheeler
paddlewood
paddling
paddlogaine
pizza paddle
rice paddle
shock paddle
sneak paddle
traffic paddle
up a creek without a paddle
up shit creek without a paddle
up shit's creek without a paddle
up the creek without a paddle
washing paddle
Related terms: oar