holding paddock
- noun
- UK
:
corral
- After transport, the cattle spend an hour in the holding paddock to recover from the journey.
Examples
-
The sheep were moved into the holding paddock before shearing began.
-
Farm workers checked the fences of the holding paddock to ensure the animals were secure.
-
The farmer built a new holding paddock for the sheep.
-
We need to clean the holding paddock before the livestock arrives.
-
After transport, the cattle spend an hour in the holding paddock to recover from the journey.
-
Farm workers checked the fences of the holding paddock to ensure the animals were secure.
-
We need to clean the holding paddock before the livestock arrives.
Synonyms
30
5.3
An enclosure for keeping farm animals like cattle or horses
8
3.4
A small enclosed field where animals such as horses graze or exercise
6
6.3
A fenced area where people keep animals like cows and sheep before transport or slaughter
2
3.1
A small fenced area where farmers keep animals before moving them
1
2.1
An enclosure for keeping cattle like cows and bulls
1
5.1
A fenced area where animals like sheep wait briefly before someone moves them
1
1.6
A fenced area where farmers keep cows
1
1.2
A fenced area where a farmer keeps sheep
A fenced area where horses stay before a race
A place where animals wait before being killed or moved
A small fenced area that holds animals like sheep or cattle for a short time
A small fenced area for holding animals briefly to sort or check them
A fenced area where pigs are kept
A gate at the starting line that holds each horse or racer before a race starts
An enclosure where stray animals are kept until their owners get them back
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an enclosure where livestock are kept temporarily' is directly derivable from combining 'holding' (the act or purpose of keeping) with 'paddock' (a small fenced field for animals); the noun phrase transparently expresses the function of the field. This compositional pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Holding paddock comes from farm life. A paddock is a small fenced field and to hold animals means to keep them there for a short time, often before they are moved or sold, so the phrase means 'an enclosure where livestock are kept temporarily'.