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

There would be no drop-kicking for Casey, but people in the crowd made up for that with plenty of energy, moshing, and jumping or dancing in puddles formed by recent rain. —Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 29 Sep. 2024

The TikTok-famous fish pond used to be just a puddle filling a large gap in the sidewalk − until residents from the block decided during the first week of August to populate the water with goldfish from a local pet store just blocks away, Washington said. —Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 21 Sep. 2024

Verb

While length is ultimately a personal preference, curtains are designed to barely graze the floor, while luxe drapes can graze the floor or puddle a bit, for a more dramatic look. —Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 23 Sep. 2024

Lightning then struck the ground next to the group as water puddled on the ground from the light rainstorm, according to the office. —Dalia Faheid, CNN, 28 June 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