paddle
A two-handed implement consisting of a shaft with one or two blades attached to the end(s) used to propel a canoe, kayak or a small boat. A paddle is unattached to the boat and freely operated with the hands, compared with an oar which is attached to the boat at a pivot point.
Other meanings
A single-bladed version is typically used on canoes and some other small boats.
A double-bladed version with blades at each end of the shaft is used for kayaking.
Synonyms
- boat paddle
A kind of
- oar
Example sentences
Word history
From Middle English "padell" (small spade).
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “paddle” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.