caddie

noun

cad·​die ˈka-dē 

variants or caddy

plural caddies

1

Scotland : one who waits about for odd jobs

2

a

: one who assists a golfer especially by carrying the clubs

b

: a wheeled device for conveying things not readily carried by hand

a luggage caddie

caddie intransitive verb

or caddy

Did you know?

In Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries, a person who made a living by doing odd jobs was called a cawdy or caddie. The word comes from the French word cadet, which came into English in the 17th century. The chief meaning of cadet in both French and English is “a student military officer.” The caddies formed organized groups, and it may be that the military structure of the group suggested the name. Some caddies lived near universities and took jobs working for students. Other caddies found jobs carrying golf clubs. As the popularity of the game grew, so did use of the term caddie for one who carries a golfer's clubs.

Examples of caddie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After players hit their approach shots into the simulator screen, small LED beams of light from the ceiling (different colors for different teams) will show players where to place their ball on the putting surface, like a virtual caddie. —Erik Matuszewski, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025

Sam Woods, their daughter, served as the caddie for them during the event. —Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 24 Dec. 2024

Bodine had just become a major championship-winning caddie. —Gabby Herzig, The Athletic, 16 Aug. 2024

Oh, and at this moment walking the steep cliffs of Maui, Max Homa’s bag is being carried by the large, bearded caddie, Michael Greller, best known for helping Jordan Spieth win three major titles. OK, the caddie is just temporary for a few weeks. —Brody Miller, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French cadet military cadet

First Known Use

circa 1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

caddie

noun

cad·​die

variants or caddy

ˈkad-ē 

plural caddies

: a person who carries a golfer's clubs

caddie verb

or caddy

Etymology

from Scottish caddie, cawdy "one who works at odd jobs," from French cadet "one training for military service," derived from Latin caput "head" — related to cad, cadet, captain

Word Origin

In Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries, a person who made a living by doing odd jobs was called a cawdy or caddie. The word caddie comes from the French word cadet, which was borrowed into English in the 17th century. The chief meaning of cadet in both French and English is "a student military officer." The first Scottish caddies formed an organized group, and it may be that the somewhat military structure of the group suggested the name. These caddies looked for odd jobs wherever they could, and after a time the name spread from Scotland into England. Some of the caddies lived near the English universities and took jobs working for students. With scorn the students referred to the lower-class caddies as cads. Then they used the term for any person they thought of as having poor manners. That is how we get our modern English word cad for "a rude and selfish man." Other caddies found jobs carrying clubs for players of golf, which began in Scotland. As the popularity of golf grew, so did use of caddie for one who carries a golfer's clubs.