puddle

1 of 2

noun

pud·​dle ˈpə-dᵊl 

1

: a very small pool of usually dirty or muddy water

2

a

: an earthy mixture (as of clay, sand, and gravel) worked while wet into a compact mass that becomes impervious to water when dry

b

: a thin mixture of soil and water for puddling plants

puddle

2 of 2

verb

puddled; puddling ˈpəd-liŋ 

ˈpə-dᵊl-iŋ

intransitive verb

: to dabble or wade around in a puddle

transitive verb

1

: to make muddy or turbid : muddle

2

a

: to work (a wet mixture of earth or concrete) into a dense impervious mass

b

: to subject (iron) to the process of puddling

3

a

: to strew with puddles

b

: to compact (soil) especially by working when too wet

c

: to dip the roots of (a plant) in a thin mud before transplanting

puddler

ˈpəd-lər 

ˈpə-dᵊl-ər

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• billabong [Australian]
• mere [chiefly British]
• pool
• stank [British dialect]
• well

Examples of puddle in a Sentence

Noun

She accidentally stepped in a puddle and got her shoes wet.

After the storm, the road was covered in deep puddles.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Less Instagrammable, but perhaps even more wonderful, is a night-dark puddle of mole negro. —Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024

Downed trees and puddles of muddy water line the streets in the area, which has been ravaged by back-to-back storms. —NBC News, 11 Oct. 2024

Verb

Water had puddled on our carpet; the floor was drenched. —Kristen Arnett, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2024

The return of corduroy trousers was solidified when The Row gave this tired wardrobe staple a new lease on life in its spring-summer 2024 collection, with baggy pants that artfully puddled at the ankles. —Emma Spedding, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English podel; akin to Low German pudel puddle, Old English pudd ditch

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing puddle

• puddle duck
• puddle jumper

Kids Definition

puddle

1 of 2 noun

pud·​dle ˈpəd-ᵊl 

: a very small pool (as of dirty or muddy water)

puddle

2 of 2 verb

puddled; puddling ˈpəd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to make muddy

2

: to cover with puddles

puddler

-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

noun