n.
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English padell spade-shaped tool for cleaning a plow
Date: 1624
1 a : a usually wooden implement that has a long handle and a broad flattened blade and that is used to propel and steer a small craft (as a canoe) b : an implement often with a short handle and a broad flat blade that is used for stirring, mixing, or hitting especially : one used to hit a ball in any of various games (as table tennis) c : a small usually numbered sign that is raised by a bidder at an auction to signal a bid d : a flat electrode that is the part of a defibrillator placed on the chest of a patient and through which a shock of electricity is discharged
2 a : any of the broad boards at the circumference of a paddle wheel or waterwheel b : any of the broad blades attached to a shaft (as in an ice cream machine) and used for stirring
3 : a computer input device with a dial used to control linear movement of a cursor on a computer display