puddle jumper
- noun
- /ˈpʌdəl ˈdʒʌmpər/
- Everyone admired her as a puddle jumper when she gracefully skipped over every puddle on the playground.
Examples
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The children used a puddle jumper to cross the shallow creek during the hike.
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We rented a puddle jumper for an afternoon exploring the quiet backwaters.
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The kids are puddle jumpers in the rain.
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My brother is a real puddle jumper!
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After a short drive to the coast, we boarded the puddle jumper to explore the nearby islands.
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The adventurous boy loved to race across the park, pretending he was a skilled puddle jumper leaping over every puddle.
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On our trip to the islands, we took a tiny puddle jumper that flew just above the water for stunning views.
Synonyms
An athlete who jumps in events like the high or long jump
A person who jumps on one foot, often in games like hopscotch
A child who plays in puddles and pretends to find treasure
Antonyms
- Archaic
A large boat carried on a ship to move people or goods between ship and shore
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun combines 'puddle' (a shallow pool of water) with 'jumper' (one who jumps), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to someone or something that 'jumps' puddles — e.g., a playful child or a small craft that crosses shallow water. This is a regular, compositional N+N compound following standard English formation, making the meaning directly derivable from its parts.
Etymology
Puddle jumper may come from a simple picture: something small and light that can cross shallow water. The name joins puddle and jumper — imagine a small boat that skims over puddles or a child who literally jumps across puddles, and that's why it can mean both 'a small boat for shallow water' and 'a playful person who jumps puddles'.