small wooden bat with a flat surface; used for hitting balls in various games
"The coach handed the batter a new paddle to hit the ball back over the net."
a blade of a paddle wheel or water wheel
"The old steamboat's wooden paddles churned vigorously as it pushed through the river current."
an instrument of punishment consisting of a flat board
"The teacher was relieved to learn that the new school policy banned paddles as instruments of punishment."
a short light oar used without an oarlock to propel a canoe or small boat
"The children took turns using their wooden paddle to push the canoe through the calm river water."
A two-handed, single-bladed oar used to propel a canoe or a small boat.
"The captain adjusted his grip on the paddle to steer the canoe through the narrow channel."
In plain English: A paddle is a flat tool with a handle used for pushing water to move a boat or hitting things back and forth during games like ping pong.
"The child kicked up water with her rubber paddle while sitting in the pool."
play in or as if in water, as of small children
"The toddlers giggled as they paddled their feet in the shallow pool."
swim like a dog in shallow water
"The puppy paddled through the warm shallows, splashing happily as it chased its reflection."
stir with a paddle
"He used his oar to gently paddle the water, creating small ripples in the calm stream."
To propel something through water with a paddle, oar, hands, etc.
"The children laughed as they paddled through the warm surf along the shoreline."
To walk or dabble playfully in shallow water, especially at the seaside.
In plain English: To paddle means to move forward through water by pushing against it with your hands, feet, or an object.
"The children paddled their feet in the shallow water while playing at the beach."
Usage: Use "paddle" as an intransitive verb when describing the act of moving oneself through shallow water without specifying a tool. Avoid using it transitively to mean "propelling another object," which is better expressed by phrases like "pushing with a paddle."
The word "paddle" is partly derived from the verb meaning to splash and partly from Middle English padell, which referred to a small spade. This term likely entered English either as an alteration related to other words for digging tools or through Latin roots describing shallow pans, though its exact origin remains uncertain.