Puddles

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Shallow collections of water that gather on surfaces following precipitation or liquid spills
2. Minor reservoirs of liquid that accumulate in low spots on terrain as a result of rain or other sources
3. Small low-lying areas filled with water, typically formed outdoors after rainfall or from spilled liquids

Etymology: "Puddles" is the plural of "puddle", a noun that began as a diminutive. In Middle English it appeared as "podel", a little version of Old English "pudd", meaning "ditch". So the word's original sense was simply a small ditch or hollow, and the modern idea of standing water came later as the meaning narrowed to small pools. The root behind it, Proto-Germanic "*puddaz", has relatives across the Germanic languages: Low German "Pudel" and German dialect forms like "Pfudel" all mean a puddle, while German "pudeln" means to splash about. That splashing connection hints at the word's sound-based origin, as it is generally thought to be imitative, echoing the noise of water being stirred or struck.

Synonyms: pools, ponds, collects, accumulates