What does "paddy" mean?
Rough or unhusked rice, either before it is milled or as a crop to be harvested.
Paddy
/ˈpædi/ adj, name, noun, slang
adj, name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Rough or unhusked rice, either before it is milled or as a crop to be harvested.
- Grammar: paddy is listed as adj, name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: paddy field, bluebottle, bobby, bull.
- Useful contrasts: dry field, dryland, foreigner.
- Usage evidence: Click the picture of the frog riding the stag beetle, Paddy.
How to use "paddy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "paddy" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "paddy" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "paddy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "paddy" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "paddy" is acting as adj, name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "paddy field" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "paddy", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Rough or unhusked rice, either before it is milled or as a crop to be harvested. countable, uncountable
"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 A fit of temper; a tantrum.
"throw a paddy etc."
- 3 A snowy sheathbill.
- 4 An Irish person. offensive, slang, sometimes
"It is in this context of Irishphobia that the racist caricature of the drunken, violent, ignorant Paddy was established."
- 5 rice in the husk either gathered or still in the field wordnet
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 A paddy field, a rice paddy; an irrigated or flooded field where rice is grown. countable
- 7 A white person. slang
"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."
- 8 an irrigated or flooded field where rice is grown wordnet
- 9 A labourer's assistant or workmate. England, colloquial
- 10 (ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Irish descent wordnet
- 11 A drill used in boring wells, with cutters that expand on pressure.
Adjective
- 1 Low; mean; boorish; vagabond. obsolete
"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[…]"
Proper Noun
- 1 An Irish nickname for Patrick.
"...He jumped into the water as frisky as a whale Swam around the U-boat wagging his little tail He upped with his horn and he stuck it in the boat And sent them all to Heligoland did Paddy McGinty's goat..."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Click the picture of the frog riding the stag beetle, Paddy."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "paddy"?
Common synonyms include: paddy field, bluebottle, bobby, bull, clearing, constable.
How do you use "paddy" in a sentence?
Click the picture of the frog riding the stag beetle, Paddy.
How do you pronounce "paddy"?
Pronounced /ˈpædi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Malay padi (“paddy plant”). Doublet of palay.
Etymology 2
English dialect paddy (“worm-eaten”).
Etymology 3
Possibly from Paddy (“Irishman”).
Etymology 4
Perhaps after the paddy bird, or egret.
Etymology 5
From Irish Pád(raig) (“Patrick”) + -y.