paddle

Noun

small wooden bat with a flat surface; used for hitting balls in various games
a blade of a paddle wheel or water wheel
an instrument of punishment consisting of a flat board
a short light oar used without an oarlock to propel a canoe or small boat
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.
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.
The use of a paddle to propel a boat; a session of paddling.
A slat of a paddleboat's wheel.
A paddlewheel.
A blade of a waterwheel.
A game controller with a round wheel used to control player movement along one axis of the video screen.
A meandering walk or dabble through shallow water, especially at the seaside.
A kitchen utensil shaped like a paddle and used for mixing, beating etc.
A broad, flat spanking implement.
A broad, flat device used in striking the ball, analogous to a racket in tennis.
A flat board with a number of holes or indentations, used to carry small alcoholic drinks such as shots.
A flat limb of an aquatic animal, adapted for swimming.
In a sluice, a panel that controls the flow of water.
A handheld electrode used for defibrillation or cardioversion.
A flipper in a pinball machine.
A person's hand.
A flap of attached skin that has been cut away from a wound.
Alternative form of padel.

Verb

propel with a paddle
- "paddle your own canoe"
play in or as if in water, as of small children
swim like a dog in shallow water
walk unsteadily
give a spanking to; subject to a spanking
stir with a paddle
To propel something through water with a paddle, oar, hands, etc.
To row a boat with less than one's full capacity.
To spank with a paddle.
To pat or stroke amorously or gently.
To tread upon; to trample.
To walk or dabble playfully in shallow water, especially at the seaside.
To dog paddle in water.
To toddle.
To toy or caress using hands or fingers.
-DLED, -DLING, -DLES to propel with a broad-bladed implement

Examples

"A sea turtle's paddles make it swim almost as fast as land tortoises are slow."
"The paddle practically ousted the British cane for spankings in the independent US."
"We had a nice paddle this morning."

Origin / 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 πηδός (pēdós, “the blade of an oar; an oar”).

Synonyms

boat paddle, coggle, dabble, dodder, larrup, spank, splash around, toddle, totter, waddle, bat, racket

Scrabble Score: 10

paddle: valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
paddle: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
paddle: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

paddle is a valid Words With Friends word