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pud·dle

(pŭdl)

a. A small pool of water, especially rainwater.

b. A small pool of a liquid.

2. A tempered paste of wet clay and sand that serves as waterproofing when dry.

v. pud·dled, pud·dling, pud·dles

v.tr.

1. To make muddy.

2. To work (clay or sand) into a thick watertight paste.

3. To process (impure metal) by puddling.

v.intr.

To splash or dabble in or as if in a pool of liquid.

[Middle English podel, diminutive of Old English pudd, ditch.]

puddly adj.

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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