Wiktionary

paddy

See also: Paddy

English

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WOTD – 16 December 2006
 
A rice paddy in Bengal.

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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Borrowed from Malay padi (“paddy plant”). Doublet of palay.

Noun

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paddy (countable and uncountable, plural paddies)

  1. Rough or unhusked rice, either before it is milled or as a crop to be harvested. [from 17th c.]
    • 2011, Arupa Patangia Kalita, translated by Deepika Phukan, The Story of Felanee:
      Taking out a handful of paddy the old woman exclaimed, “Look how good this paddy is! It is called Malbhog – it makes excellent puffed rice.”
  2. (countable) A paddy field, a rice paddy; an irrigated or flooded field where rice is grown. [from 20th c.]
Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 2

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English dialect paddy (“worm-eaten”).

Adjective

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paddy (comparative more paddy, superlative most paddy)

  1. (obsolete) Low; mean; boorish; vagabond.
    • 1860, John Lothrop Motley, The United Netherlands:
      Even after the expiration of four months the condition of the paddy persons continued most destitute. The English soldiers became mere barefoot starving beggars in the streets […]
    • 1995, Maureen Borland, D.S. MacColl: Painter, Poet, Art Critic, page 41:
      Becca wrote to Lizzie of her brother's incessant demands: Suthie came to me in a very paddy state and said 'Now ... you must bind a book for me.'
    • 2015, Brian Keenan, An Evil Cradling, page 197:
      Now, now, we are getting very paddy today, aren't we John?

Etymology 3

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Possibly from Paddy (“Irishman”).

Noun

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paddy (plural paddies)

  1. A fit of temper; a tantrum.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:tantrum
    throw a paddy etc.
    • 2013, Mike Brown, Adventures with Czech George, page 17:
      I like the story of the Emperor Frederick who got into a paddy with his cook, and shouted: 'I am the Emperor, and I want dumplings.'
  2. (African-American Vernacular, slang) A white person.
    • 2000, Requiem For a Dream, spoken by Big Tim (Keith David):
      You know what I like best about paddy chicks? They give good head. Black broads don’t know nothing about giving head. I don’t know why. Might be it has something to do with some ancient tribal custom.
  3. (colloquial, England) A labourer's assistant or workmate.
  4. A drill used in boring wells, with cutters that expand on pressure.
Descendants
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  • Krio: pàdí

Etymology 4

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Perhaps after the paddy bird, or egret. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

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paddy (plural paddies)

  1. A snowy sheathbill.

See also

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French

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English paddy, from Malay padi.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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paddy m (plural paddys)

  1. paddy (rice)

Further reading

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