caddie

1 of 3

noun (1)

cad·​die ˈka-dē 

variants or caddy

plural caddies

1

Scotland : one who waits about for odd jobs

2

a

: one who assists a golfer especially by carrying the clubs

b

: a wheeled device for conveying things not readily carried by hand

a luggage caddie

caddie intransitive verb

or caddy

caddy

2 of 3

noun (2)

cad·​dy

variant spelling of caddie

1

Scotland : one who waits about for odd jobs

2

a

: one who assists a golfer especially by carrying the clubs

b

: a wheeled device for conveying things not readily carried by hand

a luggage caddie

caddy

3 of 3

noun (3)

cad·​dy ˈka-dē 

plural caddies

1

: a small box, can, or chest used especially to keep tea in

2

: a container or device for storing or holding objects when they are not in use

a caddy for pens

Did you know?

In Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries, a person who made a living by doing odd jobs was called a cawdy or caddie. The word comes from the French word cadet, which came into English in the 17th century. The chief meaning of cadet in both French and English is “a student military officer.” The caddies formed organized groups, and it may be that the military structure of the group suggested the name. Some caddies lived near universities and took jobs working for students. Other caddies found jobs carrying golf clubs. As the popularity of the game grew, so did use of the term caddie for one who carries a golfer's clubs.

Synonyms of caddie

Noun (3)

• bin
• locker
• box
• trunk

Examples of caddie in a Sentence

Noun (3)

an antique tea caddy from the colonial period

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

When Malnati stood on the first tee, his caddie suggested leaving the driver in his bag to play it safe and set up a solid start. — CBS News, 31 July 2026

Speaking with the media ahead of this week's Women's British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in England, Hull shared a quick story involving her caddie Adam Woodward. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026

Noun

This sink caddy keeps your sponge, scrub brush, and dish soap corralled in one spot instead of scattered around the sink. — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 28 July 2026

In Netflix’s new golf comedy, Feimster, 46, stars as Sam, the caddy for Ferrell’s former top golfer, Lonnie Hawkins. — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 19 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

French cadet military cadet

Noun (3)

Malay kati catty

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing caddie

• tea caddy

Rhymes for caddie

• addy
• caddy
• daddy
• gaddi
• laddie
• paddy
• granddaddy

Kids Definition

caddie

noun

cad·​die

variants or caddy

ˈkad-ē 

plural caddies

: a person who carries a golfer's clubs

caddie verb

or caddy

Etymology

Noun

from Scottish caddie, cawdy "one who works at odd jobs," from French cadet "one training for military service," derived from Latin caput "head" — related to cad, cadet, captain

Word Origin

In Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries, a person who made a living by doing odd jobs was called a cawdy or caddie. The word caddie comes from the French word cadet, which was borrowed into English in the 17th century. The chief meaning of cadet in both French and English is "a student military officer." The first Scottish caddies formed an organized group, and it may be that the somewhat military structure of the group suggested the name. These caddies looked for odd jobs wherever they could, and after a time the name spread from Scotland into England. Some of the caddies lived near the English universities and took jobs working for students. With scorn the students referred to the lower-class caddies as cads. Then they used the term for any person they thought of as having poor manners. That is how we get our modern English word cad for "a rude and selfish man." Other caddies found jobs carrying clubs for players of golf, which began in Scotland. As the popularity of golf grew, so did use of caddie for one who carries a golfer's clubs.