To paddle means to move a small boat through water using a flat blade on a handle, pushing the water backward so the boat moves forward. Unlike rowing, where you face backward and pull the oars, paddling means you face forward and push the paddle through the water on alternating sides. You might paddle a kayak down a river or paddle a canoe across a quiet lake.

The word also means the tool itself: the paddle is the pole with the wide, flat blade at the end. Canoe paddles typically have one blade, while kayak paddles have blades on both ends.

In a completely different sense, to paddle can mean to walk or play in shallow water, splashing around barefoot at the beach or in a stream. Young children love to paddle at the water's edge on a hot summer day.

A paddle can also be a flat implement used to hit something. A ping-pong paddle has a short handle and flat surface for hitting the ball back and forth across the table. The phrase up the creek without a paddle means being in a difficult situation without the tools needed to solve it.