Meaning & use
paddle
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Meanings
nouncountable
A short pole with a wide flat blade at one or both ends, used to move and steer a small boat.
Grammar: Countable: one paddle, two paddles.
Patterns
- use a paddle
- a paddle for a canoe
He grabbed a paddle and pushed the canoe away from the shore.
The kayak comes with a lightweight paddle.
She lost her paddle in the rough water.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To move a boat through water using a paddle.
Grammar: Can take an object (paddle a canoe) or be used without one (we paddled across the lake).
Patterns
- paddle a boat
- paddle across/along something
They paddled the canoe slowly up the river.
We paddled across the lake before sunrise.
She paddled hard to reach the shore.
verbintransitive
To walk or play in shallow water with bare feet.
Grammar: No object; often used of children or animals.
Patterns
- paddle in something
The children paddled in the warm sea.
We took off our shoes and paddled in the stream.
nouncountableAmerican
A short flat piece of wood or plastic used for hitting a ball in games like table tennis.
Grammar: Countable; in American English usually called a 'paddle' in table tennis, while British English often says 'bat'.
Patterns
- a table tennis paddle
He bought a new table tennis paddle.
The paddle has a rubber surface for spin.
Word forms
| plural | paddles |
|---|---|
| third person singular | paddles |
| past tense | paddled |
| past participle | paddled |
| -ing form | paddling |
Common combinations
- paddle a canoe
- They paddled a canoe down the river.
- paddle in the sea
- The kids paddled in the sea all afternoon.
- paddle across the lake
- We paddled across the lake in an hour.
- wooden paddle
- The old wooden paddle was heavy but strong.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- paddler noun
- A person who paddles a boat.
- paddling noun
- The activity of moving a boat with a paddle or walking in shallow water.
Commonly confused: paddle or pedal?
paddle vs pedal
A pedal is a lever you push with your foot, as on a bicycle; a paddle is held in your hands to move a boat.
Practice
We ______ the canoe across the lake before sunrise.
Choose one answer.
The past tense 'paddled' fits the past-time sentence. 'Pedaled' means pushed pedals with the feet, 'paddling' is the -ing form, and 'paddle' is the base form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “paddle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.