Meanings
waddle1
plural waddles
- A group of birds, such as ducks and penguins, when walking.
A waddle of ducks and ducklings appeared around her feet.
2024, micheal dubh, The Girl who Rode the Unihorn: Of love and climate devastation, Seanchaidh, page 3332 more examples
Mr. Lillis imported a waddle of penguins who lined up at the clubhouse gate in their snappy thermal attire and were the first clients admitted.
1963, Red Smith, The Best of Red Smith, F. Watts, page 111You can see the dolphin show, the miracles of Stellar's sea lions and the cute waddle of penguins under the glittering illumination of the indoor swimming pool.
2008, Hyeongak Kim, Visual Atlas of Korea: 2008 Map & Guide, Kyohaksa, page 225
present singular third person waddles · participle present waddling · participle past waddled · past waddled
- intransitiveTo walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side.
The pond was another favourite place to visit. Moorhens strutted from the neighbouring bushes, and a bevy of Muscovy ducks, a study in black, white and red, waddled from the farmyard hard by to enjoy a refreshing splash.
1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 217 - intransitiveTo move slowly.
1 more example
Now, on the bright side, things weren't all bad; they had commendably-thick belt armor, which was 12 inches thickness, and they had a very large number of subdivided watertight compartments, which would make them very durable. Due to their being quite fat, they could also turn very quickly, even if they were waddling along by the end of the turn.
2018 December 19, Drachinifel, 4:55 from the start, in SMS Nassau - Guide 007 (Human Voice), archived from the original on 18 Dec 2022
Waddle2
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishwadelen
- Englishwaddle
From Middle English wadelen, frequentative form of waden, equivalent to wade + -le. Compare Saterland Frisian wuttelje (“to waddle”), Old High German wadalōn (“to roam; wander”), Middle High German wadelen, wedelen (“to wander; rove”), German wedeln (“to waggle”). First known use in English in a version of the Song of Roland around the year 1400.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian патешко ходене, клатя се като патица
- патешко ходене (pateško hodene)swaying gait
- клатя се като патица (klatja se kato patica)to walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Czech kolébat se, jít kolébavě
- kolébat seto walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
- jít kolébavěto walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Dutch waggelen
- waggelento walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Esperanto anaspaŝi
- anaspaŝito walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Finnish vaapunta, vaappua
- vaapuntaswaying gait
- vaappuato walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
French se dandiner
- se dandinerto walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
German watschelnder Gang, Watscheln
- watschelnder Gangswaying gait
- Watschelnswaying gait
- watschelnto walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Greek πηγαίνω σαν πάπια, παραπατώ
- πηγαίνω σαν πάπια (pigaíno san pápia)to walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
- παραπατώ (parapató)to walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Hungarian totyogás, totyog
- totyogásswaying gait
- totyogto walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Italian ondeggiare
- ondeggiareto walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Japanese よたよた歩く, よちよち歩く
- よたよた歩く (yotayota aruku)to walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
- よちよち歩く (yochiyochi aruku)to walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Māori mānānana, parepare
- mānānanato walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
- parepareto walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Polish taśtać
- taśtaćto walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Romanian mers legănat, merge legănat
- mers legănatswaying gait
- merge legănatto walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Russian ходи́ть вразвалку, перева́ливаться
- ходи́ть вразвалку (xodítʹ vrazvalku)to walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
- перева́ливаться (pereválivatʹsja)to walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Spanish andadura de ánade, tambalearse
- andadura de ánadeswaying gait
- tambalearseto walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
- dar traspiésto walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
- anadearto walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Swedish vaggande, vagga
- vaggandeswaying gait
- vaggato walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Turkish badi badi/paytak paytak yürümek
- badi badi/paytak paytak yürümekto walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Ukrainian ходити перевальцем
- ходити перевальцем (xodyty perevalʹcem)to walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with waddle
Anagrams
Cite this entry
waddle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/waddle
“waddle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/waddle. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “waddle,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/waddle.
Source: waddle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.