PUDDLE


Meaning of PUDDLE in English

■ 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'.

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.