■ noun
1》 a small pool of liquid, especially of rainwater on the ground.
2》 clay and sand mixed with water and used as a watertight covering for embankments.
3》 Rowing a circular patch of disturbed water made by the blade of an oar at each stroke.
■ verb
1》 cover with or form ~s.
2》 ( ~ about/around ) dabble or wallow in mud or shallow water.
↘ informal occupy oneself in a disorganized or unproductive way.
3》 line (a hole) with ~.
↘knead (clay and sand) into ~.
↘work (mixed water and clay) to separate gold or opal.
4》 [usu. as noun puddling ] chiefly historical stir (molten iron) with iron oxide in a furnace, to produce wrought iron by oxidizing carbon.
Derivatives
~r noun
puddly adjective
Origin
ME: dimin. of OE pudd 'ditch, furrow'; cf. Ger. dialect Pfudel 'pool'.