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to paddle

to paddle

33 2.5
To play or move in shallow water by splashing
  • verb
  • /ˈpædəl/
: chapotear
  • On the second day, Eliot saw something long and shiny in the sun, and he paddled to it.
  • paddling in the shallows
  • paddled in the water
  • paddling in the pool

They go for a bit of a paddle and it, it gets, you know, it's sort of they, they have a bad day.

Examples

  • When they see me running or paddling they will beg me to stay.

  • Let's paddle.

  • Just paddle in the water.

  • Most girls just paddle around.

  • On day seven, I was ready to go paddling in the ocean again.

    Blog text (10)
  • Travis walks and paddles for miles every morning, running his trap lines before school starts.

  • The people on the front and those who were bathing or paddling ran for shelter.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Then they started paddling back around the mass of floating reeds.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • And every May, the survivors would be back, paddling the shallows, nesting in the reeds.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The children were excited to paddle in the shallow water at the beach.

Synonyms

to take a dip
vsto paddle
  • Jargon
9 2.8

To go into the water for a short time to swim or cool off

involves moving or playing in shallow water rather than brief immersion
to splash around
vsto paddle
3 2.9

To play in water by moving and making water spray

is gentler movement in shallow water, not necessarily energetic play
to dabble
vsto paddle
1 4.8

To move a hand, foot, or bird's head lightly in water for fun

involves moving or walking in shallow water with more active splashing

Idioms

A very bad situation with no way to fix it

To be in a difficult situation with no way out

To be independent and take care of yourself without help

Compounds

3 3.1

A simple swimming stroke with arms and legs moving one after the other like a dog swims

paddle wheel
  • Archaic
2 3.5

A large round device with boards around its edge that turns to move a boat

paddle-wheeler
  • Archaic
1 7.7

A steam boat with big wheels on the sides that push it through rivers or lakes

paddle steamer
  • Archaic
1 6.6

A boat that uses a steam engine and large paddle wheels to move

1 2.0

A short, light oar used by hand to move a canoe or small boat

A small flat bat with a short handle used to hit the ball in table tennis

paddle box
  • Archaic
9.9

A wooden cover around the top of a paddle wheel on a steamboat that protects it from water spray

paddle-box
  • Archaic
9.6

A wooden cover that protects a ship's paddle wheel from water and dirt

How Vigorous

to flail
46 5.8
to splash
101 1.0
to paddle
33 2.5
to wade
65 2.2

Surface Forms

paddle infinitive
paddled past
paddled past participle
paddling present participle
paddles third person singular

Etymology

Paddle: To 'paddle' in water means to move or splash with hands or feet like using little oars, and the word links to the idea of a small flat tool that moves water for a boat.