Meaning & use
nurdle
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitiveinformalsport
In cricket, to score runs slowly and steadily by gently tapping the ball into gaps in the field.
Grammar: No object: he nurdled along; or with an object: he nurdled a single.
Patterns
- nurdle a single
- nurdle the ball
The batter nurdled a few singles to keep the score moving.
They nurdled their way to fifty without taking any risks.
He nurdled the ball into the gap and ran.
nouncountabletechnical
A tiny plastic pellet that is melted and molded to make plastic products.
Grammar: Countable and usually plural, because nurdles are tiny and numerous.
Patterns
- nurdles on a beach
Volunteers collected nurdles from the shoreline after the shipping spill.
Factories use nurdles as raw material for plastic bottles.
Nurdles are so small that fish can mistake them for food.
Word forms
| third person singular | nurdles |
|---|---|
| past tense | nurdled |
| past participle | nurdled |
| -ing form | nurdling |
Common combinations
- nurdle a single
- He nurdled a single to rotate the strike.
- nurdle around
- The openers nurdled around for the first ten overs.
- nurdle the ball
- She nurdled the ball to leg.
- nurdle pollution
- Nurdle pollution has harmed beaches around the world.
- collect nurdles
- Children helped collect nurdles from the sand.
Synonyms and how they differ
- push
- Push is a general term for moving the ball, but nurdle suggests a gentle placement for a single run.
- dab
- Dab is a quick, light touch, while nurdle focuses on steady, low-risk scoring.
- plastic pellet
- Plastic pellet is the plain descriptive term, while nurdle is the industry word.
Opposites
Word family
- nurdler noun
- a batter who scores slowly by nudging singles
- nurdling noun
- the act of scoring in this gentle way
- nurdle spill noun
- an accident that releases plastic pellets into the sea
Commonly confused: nurdle or noodle?
nurdle vs noodle
Noodle is a food, and can also be the verb for playing idly on an instrument. A nurdle is a cricket shot or a plastic pellet.
Practice
The batter ___ a single to the leg side to keep the scoreboard moving.
Choose one answer.
Nurdle describes a gentle tap that earns a single. Hammered would mean a hard hit, hurled means threw, and noodled is not used in cricket.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nurdle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.