puddle

noun pud·dle \ ˈpə-dᵊl \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of puddle

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

See puddle defined for English-language learners

See puddle defined for kids

Examples of puddle in a Sentence

She accidentally stepped in a puddle and got her shoes wet.
After the storm, the road was covered in deep puddles.

Recent Examples of puddle from the Web

Many San Franciscans sick of seeing that telltale puddle of glass next to their car and finding their valuables swiped are hoping the Police Department comes up with some clever, high-tech way to catch the prolific thieves.

— heather knight, San Francisco Chronicle, "What deters smash-and-grabs? Nothing — when that’s what’s in the car," 3 Apr. 2018
The three of them looked so happy together and this video of Travis playing with Stormi has officially melted my heart into a puddle.

— kelsey stiegman, Seventeen, "This Video of Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott Playing With Stormi is Painfully Cute," 2 Apr. 2018
Additionally, rust-like particles were noted in the condensation puddle on the table.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "Deadly listeria and a filthy factory shut down this cheese maker by court order | Miami Herald," 2 Apr. 2018
In them are cows who get stuck in water troughs; one is pulled out by her nostrils only to slip and fall into a puddle of feces.

— kate branch, Vogue, "This Shocking New Documentary Will Make You Second-Guess a Glass of Milk," 30 Mar. 2018
On the high school front, the games have now moved from gyms to arenas and baseball/softball teams are starting to clear the puddles from their skin infields.

— scott springer, Cincinnati.com, "Springer: ECC candidates, MVC possibilities and who's on first?," 16 Mar. 2018
In the videos obtained by the AP, dating to 13 days after the killing began, blue-green puddles of acid sludge surround corpses without heads and torsos that jut out from the earth, skeletal hands seeming to claw at the ground.

— foster klug, Houston Chronicle, "Mass graves uncovered in Myanmar," 1 Feb. 2018
Michael Stern, curator of primates and small mammals, told The Associated Press that workers had to install a fire hose over a mud puddle in the yard.

— david caraccio, sacbee, "This video of gorilla walking like a human goes viral | The Sacramento Bee," 20 Mar. 2018
The zoo even installed a fire hose over a mud puddle so Louis could walk across it like a tightrope to avoid getting messy.

— CBS News, "Gorilla with a human-like strut likes to keep his hands clean, zoo says," 20 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'puddle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of puddle

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

puddle Synonyms

Synonyms

pool, well;

Related Words

basin, hole, sinkhole;

swimming pool;

lake, pond, water hole;

puddle

verb

Definition of puddle

puddled; puddling play \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

play \ˈpəd-lər, ˈpə-dᵊl-ər\ noun

Recent Examples of puddle from the Web

Rainwater was puddling deeply on the playing surface as the Kiwis did their dance.

— alan dymock, CNN, "From Fiji to fancy dress, how rugby fell in love with the Hong Kong Sevens," 6 Apr. 2018
The steel balconies seemed to sway with the movement of bodies; beer puddled on the floor near the stage where fans were packed tight.

— cathy applefeld olson, Billboard, "Foo Fighters Christen D.C.'s Newest Venue With Anthemic Hits," 13 Oct. 2017
The cratered outfield grass that puddled at the lightest spring rains has been uprooted.

— aaron randle, kansascity, "Cutting-edge baseball academy about to open at 18th & Vine, but who will come play?," 26 Oct. 2017
There is, however, no runoff, as the spray was more like a mist that occasionally made a rainbow and left sidewalks wet, but not puddled.

— gary warth, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Power-washing a dirty job, but could say lives in hep A outbreak," 29 Sep. 2017
Small shouldered jackets and coats sliced up the spine for movement were paired with hip-slung trousers, puddling at the ankles, and macramé vests trailing strands of fringe (weirdly, macramé is sort of a thing this season).

— vanessa friedman, New York Times, "Debuts at Jil Sander and Roberto Cavalli," 24 Sep. 2017
Police found Tice dead on the floor in his home office, blood puddled around his head.

— the denver post, The Mercury News, "California yoga mogul’s mysterious death: Trevor Tice’s drunken last hours detailed," 27 Jan. 2017
Police found Tice dead on the floor in his home office, blood puddled around his head.

— the denver post, The Mercury News, "California yoga mogul’s mysterious death: Trevor Tice’s drunken last hours detailed," 27 Jan. 2017
Police found Tice dead on the floor in his home office, blood puddled around his head.

— The Denver Post, "Coroner’s report details drunken last hours of CorePower Yoga founder Trevor Tice," 26 Jan. 2017

First Known Use of puddle

15th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

PUDDLE Defined for English Language Learners

puddle

noun

Definition of puddle for English Language Learners

: a small amount of water, mud, etc., on the ground

PUDDLE Defined for Kids

puddle

noun pud·dle \ ˈpə-dᵊl \

Definition of puddle for Students

: a very small pool of liquid

Learn More about puddle

See words that rhyme with puddle Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for puddle Spanish Central: Translation of puddle Nglish: Translation of puddle for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of puddle for Arabic speakers

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puddle

Definition of puddle

Examples of puddle in a Sentence

Recent Examples of puddle from the Web

Origin and Etymology of puddle

puddle Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

puddle

Definition of puddle

puddler

Recent Examples of puddle from the Web

First Known Use of puddle

PUDDLE Defined for English Language Learners

puddle

Definition of puddle for English Language Learners

PUDDLE Defined for Kids

puddle

Definition of puddle for Students

Learn More about puddle

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