I. ˈpə-d ə l noun
Etymology: Middle English podel; akin to Low German pudel puddle, Old English pudd ditch
Date: 14th century
1. : a very small pool of usually dirty or muddy water
2.
a. : an earthy mixture (as of clay, sand, and gravel) worked while wet into a compact mass that becomes impervious to water when dry
b. : a thin mixture of soil and water for puddling plants
II. verb
( pud·dled ; pud·dling ˈpəd-liŋ, ˈpə-d ə l-iŋ)
Date: 15th century
intransitive verb
: to dabble or wade around in a puddle
transitive verb
1. : to make muddy or turbid : muddle
2.
a. : to work (a wet mixture of earth or concrete) into a dense impervious mass
b. : to subject (iron) to the process of puddling
3.
a. : to strew with puddles
b. : to compact (soil) especially by working when too wet
c. : to dip the roots of (a plant) in a thin mud before transplanting
• pud·dler ˈpəd-lər, ˈpə-d ə l-ər noun