paddle
paddle — noun
- paddlesingular
- paddlesplural
1. a long piece of wood, plastic, or similar material with a wider section at one o
a long piece of wood, plastic, or similar material with a wider section at one or both ends, held in both hands and pushed through water to move small boats, including canoes and kayaks.
Tomás dipped his paddle into the lake and pulled hard toward the island.
paddle + into + water body
The wooden paddle floated on the surface after Nila accidentally dropped it overboard.
adjectival modifier + paddle (e.g. wooden, plastic, canoe)
Each canoe had two paddles stored inside for the passengers to use.
Adina carved her own paddle from a piece of birch wood she found in the forest.
A double-bladed paddle lets you move a kayak faster through rough water.
compound noun: double-bladed paddle
- canoe paddle
- kayak paddle
- wooden paddle
- double-bladed paddle
- dip a paddle
- pull on a paddle
- oar
attached to the boat via an oarlock; used for rowing, not paddling
Grammar Patterns
a paddle
the paddle
plural: paddles
Usage Note
The most common sense of the noun. Unlike an oar, a paddle is not attached to the boat — you hold it freely in your hands and use it on either side.
Common Mistakes
2. a flat board fixed to the rim of a wheel on a steamboat or mill that pushes agai
a flat board fixed to the rim of a wheel on a steamboat or mill that pushes against water or air and helps the wheel turn around.
The old steamboat had twelve wooden paddles fixed to each side of its wheel.
fixed to/attached to + wheel
Water splashed over the paddles as the mill wheel began to rotate slowly.
One of the paddles on the water wheel had cracked from years of use.
The engineer examined each paddle on the wheel before starting the engine.
each paddle on the wheel
- paddle wheel
- water wheel paddle
- wooden paddle
- metal paddle
- paddles on a wheel
Grammar Patterns
a paddle on [a/the] wheel
plural: paddles
Usage Note
Almost always describes a part of a paddle wheel (on steamboats) or a water wheel (in mills). The plural form (paddles) is very common when referring to the full set of blades.
3. a short walk in very shallow water beside a beach, lake, or river for enjoyment
a short walk in very shallow water beside a beach, lake, or river for enjoyment or to cool your feet.
After lunch the children went for a paddle in the shallow water at the beach.
go for a paddle (fixed phrase)
Diya rolled up her trousers and had a paddle along the shoreline.
have a paddle
The old dog loved a quick paddle in the stream behind the house.
Quan took off his shoes and enjoyed a paddle in the cool lake water.
- go for a paddle
- have a paddle
- a paddle in the sea
- a paddle at the beach
- wade
more common in American English; can also mean walking through deeper water with a purpose (e.g. crossing a river)
Grammar Patterns
a paddle
go for a paddle
Usage Note
Primarily British English. In American English, 'wade' or 'wading' is more common for this activity. Used in set phrases such as 'go for a paddle' and 'have a paddle.'
4. a flat tool that has a short grip and a broad end, usually made of wood or plast
a flat tool that has a short grip and a broad end, usually made of wood or plastic, used in cooking for stirring or mixing food or in some sports for hitting a ball.
Romi stirred the chocolate sauce with a wooden paddle until it became smooth.
stir + with + a [material] paddle
The baker used a long paddle to slide the bread onto the hot oven floor.
In table tennis, each player holds a small paddle to hit the ball across the net.
sports context: table tennis paddle
Zayd picked up a plastic paddle and gently mixed the eggs with the sugar.
The wooden paddle that Emily used for the cake batter had been in her family for years.
- wooden paddle
- mixing paddle
- kitchen paddle
- bread paddle
- table tennis paddle
- spatula
usually flatter and wider; can also refer to a tool for flipping food
- mixing spoon
longer and rounder; not flat like a paddle
Grammar Patterns
a paddle
a [wooden/plastic] paddle
Usage Note
In British English, a kitchen paddle is sometimes called a 'spatula' or 'mixing spoon.' In American English, a 'paddle' in sports contexts usually means the bat used in table tennis (also called a 'racket' or 'paddle').
paddle — verb
- paddlepresent simple I / you / we / they
- paddles3rd person singular
- paddling-ing form
- paddledpast simple
1. to move a canoe, kayak, or small boat across water by using a paddle, pushing th
to move a canoe, kayak, or small boat across water by using a paddle, pushing the wide part of it against the water on alternate sides of the boat.
Pedro paddled his canoe across the calm lake in less than an hour.
paddle + object + across [water body]
Diya and Tanvi paddled upstream against the current for almost two kilometres.
paddle + direction (upstream, downstream, along)
The group paddled slowly along the river, watching birds fly overhead.
A single person can paddle a kayak easily if the water is not too rough.
Mizuki paddled hard to reach the shore before the storm arrived.
paddle [adverb of manner] (hard, slowly, gently)
- paddle a canoe
- paddle a kayak
- paddle across a lake
- paddle downstream
- paddle upstream
- paddle hard
Grammar Patterns
paddle + boat/canoe/kayak
paddle + across/along/down/up + [water body]
paddle (no object)
Usage Note
The most frequent sense of the verb. Often used intransitively (without an object) when the type of boat is clear from context. Directional prepositions (across, along, down, up, toward) are very common with this sense.
Common Mistakes
2. to punish a child by striking their buttocks with a flat wooden board to correct
to punish a child by striking their buttocks with a flat wooden board to correct their behaviour.
In some schools in the past, teachers would paddle students who broke the rules.
paddle + student/child as punishment
Nila's grandfather remembered being paddled at school for talking during class.
passive: be paddled at [school]
The parents decided not to paddle their children and chose a gentler way to teach them.
The law now forbids teachers from paddling students in most American states.
- paddle a child
- get paddled
- school paddling
- spank
more general term for hitting on the bottom; does not specify a wooden implement
Grammar Patterns
paddle + someone
Usage Note
This sense is strongly associated with historical school discipline in the United States. It is now illegal or restricted in many places. The passive form ('was paddled') is common when describing past experiences.
Common Mistakes
3. to walk without shoes in very shallow water beside the sea, a lake, or a river,
to walk without shoes in very shallow water beside the sea, a lake, or a river, usually for pleasure or to feel cool.
The children rolled up their shorts and paddled in the cool stream behind the house.
paddle + in [water body]
Nala loved to paddle along the shore while her parents sat on the sand.
We took off our shoes and went paddling at the edge of the lake.
go paddling (fixed phrase)
A group of tourists paddled in the shallow water near the pier, laughing and splashing.
Mei-Lin rolled up her jeans and paddled carefully in the shallows, feeling for smooth stones under her feet.
human subject + paddled in the shallows — wading, not swimming
- paddle in the sea
- paddle at the beach
- go paddling
- paddle barefoot
- paddle in the shallows
- wade
more common in American English; can also mean walking through deeper water with purpose
Grammar Patterns
paddle + in [water body]
go paddling
paddle + barefoot
Usage Note
Primarily British English. In American English, speakers use 'wade' instead. 'Go paddling' is a common fixed expression for this activity. The noun form ('have a paddle') is also frequent.
Common Mistakes
4. to swim by making quick up-and-down movements with the arms and legs while keepi
to swim by making quick up-and-down movements with the arms and legs while keeping the head above water, like the way a dog swims.
The puppy fell into the pond and paddled frantically until Theo lifted it out.
context: animal swimming
Romi could not swim properly yet, but she could paddle in the shallow end of the pool.
paddle in the [shallow end] — child/learner swimming
The children paddled around in the swimming pool, splashing water at each other.
Mizuki's younger brother could paddle a short distance across the pool without any help.
After taking lessons, Tomás no longer needed to paddle — he could do the front crawl.
- paddle in the pool
- paddle around
- paddle like a dog
- dog paddle stroke
- dog paddle
specifically names the swimming style; can be used as a noun
Grammar Patterns
paddle (in water)
go paddling (swimming style)
Usage Note
Often describes the way young children or animals swim before learning proper strokes. The fixed phrase 'dog paddle' (noun) also exists to name this swimming style.
Common Mistakes
5. to mix, stir, or beat a substance using a flat-bladed tool, especially in cookin
to mix, stir, or beat a substance using a flat-bladed tool, especially in cooking or in an industrial process.
Emily paddled the thick paint mixture with a wooden stick until it was smooth.
paddle + [substance] + with + [tool]
The machine paddled the cement slowly, keeping it from hardening before use.
In the old days, workers paddled the dye in large vats to make sure the colour spread evenly.
The worker paddled the wet cement in the wheelbarrow to keep it from setting before it reached the moulds.
paddle + [material] in [container] — industrial mixing
- paddle a mixture
- paddle paint
- paddle cement
- paddle dye
Grammar Patterns
paddle + object
Usage Note
Less common in everyday conversation. In cooking contexts, 'stir' or 'mix' are more frequent. This sense appears mainly in technical or historical descriptions of manual processes.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
'Paddle', 'row', and 'canoe' all describe moving a boat through water, but they differ in equipment and motion. 'Paddle' means using a hand-held paddle (not attached to the boat) on alternate sides — the standard way to move a canoe or kayak. 'Row' uses oars that are fixed to the boat with oarlocks, and the rower faces backward while pulling both oars at once. 'Canoe' can be used as a verb meaning to travel by canoe, but it focuses on the journey rather than the action. 'Oar' is the noun for the tool used in rowing. For example: 'We paddled the canoe across the lake' describes using a paddle; 'We rowed the boat to the dock' uses oars attached to the boat; 'We canoed down the river' focuses on the canoe trip itself.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'paddle' first appeared in Middle English as 'padell', probably related to the Middle Dutch 'paddel' (a type of spade or shovel). The connection to boat propulsion and the shape of a spade is clear — both use a flat blade to push against a substance (water or earth). The meaning of walking in shallow water developed later, probably from the gentle splashing motion that resembles the movement of a paddle in water.