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Pad·dy

(pădē)

n.
Often Offensive Slang

Used as a disparaging term for a person, especially a man, of Irish birth or ancestry.

[Nickname for Irish Gaelic Pádraig, Patrick.]

pad·dy

(pădē)

n. pl. pad·dies

1. Rice, especially in the husk, whether gathered or still in the field.

2. A specially irrigated or flooded field where rice is grown.

[Malay padi, rice plant, rice in the field, unhusked rice, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *pajay, from Proto-Austronesian, rice plant.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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