Meaning & use
puds
Last updated
“puds” is a form of “pud”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounpluralinformalBritish
Hands, especially when used for hitting or grabbing.
Grammar: Always plural in this sense; you cannot say 'a pud' for a hand.
Patterns
- get your puds on something
- keep your puds off something
Keep your puds off my sandwich!
He grabbed the ball with both puds and ran.
nounpluralinformalBritish
Puddings; sweet dishes eaten at the end of a meal.
Grammar: Short plural of 'pudding', used mainly in speech and on menus.
Patterns
- a choice of puds
- sticky puds
The menu lists three puds, all with custard.
We had roast beef and then two puds between us.
Common combinations
- keep your puds off something
- Keep your puds off my laptop while I'm working.
- a choice of puds
- There's a choice of puds if you still have room.
- sticky puds
- Sticky puds like treacle sponge are his favorite.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mitts
- Also informal for hands, but it often suggests big, clumsy hands rather than just hands.
- paws
- Used for hands in a playful or slightly rude way; it sounds more animal-like than 'puds'.
- puddings
- The full, neutral word; use it in writing or when you are not being casual.
Word family
- pud noun
- The singular form, meaning a pudding or, informally, a hand.
Commonly confused: puds or puds?
puds vs puds
Not the same as 'spuds', which is an informal British word for potatoes.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'puds' correctly for hands?
Choose one answer.
'Puds' can mean hands in informal British English, so 'keep your puds off the cake' fits. 'Puds of rice' is wrong because 'puds' is not a unit or container word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “puds”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.