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    paddle

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    paddle
    I
    pad‧dle1 /ˈpædl/ noun
     Date: 1400-1500
     Origin: Perhaps from Medieval Latin padela, from Latin patella; ⇨ patella

    1. [countable] a short pole that is wide and flat at the end, used for moving a small boat in water ⇨ oar
    2. [singular] British English when you walk for pleasure without shoes or socks in water that is not very deep:
        If it’s not too cold, we can go for a paddle.
    3. [countable] American English a small round flat bat with a short handle, used for hitting the ball in table tennis:
        a ping-pong paddle
    4. [countable] a tool like a flat spoon, used for mixing food
    ⇨ dog paddle

    II
    paddle2 verb (past tense and past participle paddled, present participle paddling)
     Sense 1,4-5
     Date: 1600-1700
     Origin: ⇨ paddle1
     Sense 2-3
     Date: 1500-1600
     Origin: Probably from ⇨ pad2(1)
    1. [intransitive and transitive] to move a small light boat through water, using one or more paddles
        paddle along/upstream/towards etc
        I desperately tried to paddle for the shore.
        She and her husband paddled a canoe down the Mississippi. ⇨ row3
    2. [intransitive] British English to walk for pleasure without shoes or socks in water that is not very deep
       SYN  wade American English:
        children paddling in the sea
    3. [intransitive] to swim with short quick movements:
        The dog was paddling furiously after the ducks.
    4. [transitive] American English informal to hit a child with a piece of wood as a punishment
    5. paddle your own canoe British English informal to do things yourself, without help from anyone else