Puddle
/ˈpʌd.əl/noun
A small pool of water, especially one formed on the ground after rain.
Did you know?Puddle is related to older words meaning a small pool or marshy wet place, showing how English often turns messy landscapes into ordinary everyday words.
Etymological Timeline
Middle English
English
podel / puddle
“a small pool of water or muddy wet place”
Late Old English / Middle English
English
puddel
“a little pool or marshy hollow”
Germanic
Gmc
*put- / *pud-
“to swell, bubble, or make a wet hollow”
Modern English
English
puddle
“a small pool of standing water”