puddle

American  

[puhd-l] / ˈpʌd l /

noun

puddles plural

1. a small pool of water, as of rainwater on the ground.

2. a small pool of any liquid.

3. clay or the like mixed with water and tempered, used as a waterproof lining for the walls of canals, ditches, etc.

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verb (used with object)

puddled, puddling

1. to mark or scatter with puddles.

2. to wet with dirty water, mud, etc.

3. to make (water) muddy or dirty.

4. to muddle or confuse.

5. to make (clay or the like) into puddle.

6. to cover with pasty clay or puddle.

7. Metallurgy. to subject (molten iron) to the process of puddling.

8. to destroy the granular structure of (soil) by agricultural operations on it when it is too wet.

9. Horticulture. to dip the roots of (a tree, shrub, etc.) into a thin mixture of loam and water to retard drying out during transplanting.

verb (used without object)

puddled, puddling

1. to wade in a puddle.

   The children were puddling.

2. to be or become puddled.

   The backyard was puddling.

puddle British  

/ ˈpʌdəl /

noun

1. a small pool of water, esp of rain

2. a small pool of any liquid

3. a worked mixture of wet clay and sand that is impervious to water and is used to line a pond or canal

4. rowing the patch of eddying water left by the blade of an oar after completion of a stroke

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verb

1. (tr) to make (clay, etc) into puddle

2. (tr) to subject (iron) to puddling

3. (intr) to dabble or wade in puddles, mud, or shallow water

4. (intr) to mess about

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• puddler
  noun
• puddly
  adjective
• unpuddled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• puddles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of puddle

1300–50; (noun) Middle English puddel, podel, pothel, apparently diminutive of Old English pudd ditch, furrow (akin to Low German pudel puddle); (v.) late Middle English pothelen, derivative of the noun

Explanation

A puddle is a small pool, such as one that forms on a sidewalk after a rain shower. A little boy with new rain boots might decide to jump in every puddle he sees on his way to school. It's charming to see a puddle on a brick walkway or to watch a duck wash itself in a puddle. It's less charming to find a puddle in your basement after three days of rain. You can use puddle as a verb, too, to say, "I'm watching your cereal milk puddle in the middle of the table and wondering when you're planning to clean it up." Puddle comes from the Old English pudd, "ditch or furrow."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

puddle puddles puddled puddling

“Any time Lenore says the word ‘sugah,’ it just makes me melt into a puddle on the floor,” Winderbaum says, laughing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

As we watched the group wander about, a female capybara waded into a mud puddle along the truck path and rolled around happily.

From Slate ● May 27, 2026

You want something that sits up in the spoon, not something that sighs into a puddle.

From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2026

What actress will nobly step in as Nora and save the production, while reducing Marcin to a puddle of self-recrimination and doubt?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026

When water started pouring from the front of the car onto the pavement, creating a buzzing puddle inches away from our feet, I knew we were doomed.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

"I was in a wedding dress and I was running barefoot through the puddles," says Iryna.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026

This is most clearly shown in Gene Kelly’s dance in the rain where he stomps in puddles and spins his umbrella.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026

Before you drain, save the pasta water — that cloudy starch is what turns chopped olives and warm oil into a sauce that clings instead of puddles.

From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2026

The 52-year-old had his head in his hands when the final whistle went -- his body language as negative as the horrendous weather which had left puddles all over the pitch.

From Barron's ● Feb. 7, 2026

And our heels had worn small round bowls into it large enough to hold puddles of mussels before St. Patrick’s Day, and limpets after that.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

We didn’t have a plan, just each other and the puddled roads.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2025

As rain poured and puddled on the sideline at Ross-Ade Stadium, the Purdue mascot dared the cheerleader to jump into the water.

From Fox News ● Oct. 2, 2021

Weller said he had not eaten anything during his ordeal but sipped water puddled on rocks, using grass as a straw, Nattapat said.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 3, 2021

The rewards might be a warm-spiced cabernet franc from the Loire Valley and loose coffee pastry cream puddled in a chocolate tart brushed with espresso syrup.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 25, 2021

It puddled onto the floor, forming a circle.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

Others, fabricated from translucent amber resin that has hardened to a glossy sheen, are low and horizontal, oozing and puddling across the floor like pools of blood or toxic spills.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2024

"There have been numerous local measurements and theoretical discussions regarding the effects of water puddling on ice albedo," Kaczmarowski said.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 15, 2024

“There’s obviously a lot of puddling in the fairways. We’re in a pretty low area here. But the greens held up.”

From Washington Times ● May 6, 2022

With water puddling on the infield dirt in various places, Ray got a pair of ground balls to end the inning.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 13, 2022

“Yes you do, now go on, shoo, scat. 1 don’t want you puddling on the floor.”

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

Related Words

• pond