puddle

noun

pud·dle | \ ˈpə-dᵊl

Definition of puddle

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a very small pool of usually dirty or muddy water

2a : 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

verb

puddled; puddling\ ˈpəd-liŋ

, ˈpə-dᵊl-iŋ \

Definition of puddle (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to dabble or wade around in a puddle

transitive verb

1 : to make muddy or turbid : muddle

2a : to work (a wet mixture of earth or concrete) into a dense impervious mass

b : to subject (iron) to the process of puddling

3a : 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

Other Words from puddle Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about puddle

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Synonyms for puddle

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

Kevin Josue tossed plastic coffee stirrers into a brown puddle. — Juan Montes, WSJ, "Fleeing Poverty and Violence, Central American Women Explain Why They Join Caravans," 4 Dec. 2018 In the dining room, a massive sculpture by Sinisa Kukec resembles two golden raindrops plinking into puddles. — Brett Sokol, New York Times, "The Water Will Come, but Not to This Miami Home," 8 May 2018 There’s a shelf above for bags, but no countertop for puddles. — Scott Mccartney, WSJ, "Airports Try Stall Tactic: Better Bathrooms," 2 Jan. 2019 Some even have magical effects: The transparent Liquid Glass putty turns opaque upon contact, and then melts back into an invisibly clear puddle when returned to the tin, fascinating to the natural child in all of us, no matter our age. — Francine Maroukian, Popular Mechanics, "The Limitless Uses of Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty," 26 Dec. 2018 The lone woman lay shaking in a puddle of her own urine. — Siobhan O'grady, latimes.com, "‘It’s just barbarity’: Togo’s political prisoners describe torture in police custody," 4 June 2018 Hundreds of Preakness goers traversed through mudpits and large puddles of water, with their shoes and legs covered in brown sludge. — Brittany Britto, baltimoresun.com, "Preakness 2018 is all about the mud — and yes, mud wrestling," 19 May 2018 That can be lovely, but give it a day and that winter wonderland quickly transforms into a hellish landscape of dingy gray slush puddles and cramped sidewalks, packed with unhappy commuters. — Madeline Fass, Vogue, "Consider: A Heeled Snow Boot to Stay High and Dry All Winter," 14 Jan. 2019 But flooding at the frequency NOAA predicts would double, triple and eventually exponentially increase the amount of puddles residents must ford per year. — Alex Harris, miamiherald, "Miami streets could flood every single day by 2070 under many climate models, NOAA says | Miami Herald," 30 Mar. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Three different kinds of cheese, freshly snipped basil, and sweet tomato sauce puddled with olive oil. — Keith Flanagan, Condé Nast Traveler, "19 Best Places for Pizza in New York City," 1 Mar. 2018 Cast-iron-roasted chicken took a familiar comfort to a new level, the bird’s tawny skin drizzled with rich jus that puddled into potato gnocchi flecked with Cabot cheddar. — Craig Laban, Philly.com, "Craig LaBan's first bite of the Delaware beaches | A dining guide," 15 June 2018 Scientists calculate that up to 250 million beaver ponds once puddled the continent—impounding enough water to submerge Washington, Oregon, and California. — Ben Goldfarb, Science | AAAS, "Beaver dams without beavers? Artificial logjams are a popular but controversial restoration tool," 7 June 2018 Believe it or not, the company drew more clients on that infamous October night in 2008 when the Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays kept playing Game 5 of the World Series despite heavy rain and puddling on the infield. — Bob Brookover, Philly.com, "Phillies to play at 12:05 today, if rain stops | Extra Innings," 16 May 2018 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

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.