paddler

noun

pad·​dler ˈpad-lər 

ˈpa-dᵊl-ər

plural paddlers

: one who paddles something (such as a canoe or kayak)

One of the most rewarding sights to greet an early morning canoeist is that of a great blue heron feeding along the edge of a lake. … If the paddler is careful, he can glide close to the huge blue-gray bird …

—Ton de Joode and Anthonie Stolk

In a freestyle competition, paddlers use small, flat-bottomed, and often blunt-ended, funky-looking white-water kayaks to perform routines for judges.

—Nancy Coulter-Parker

Examples of paddler in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Spanning over a million acres of North Woods forest dotted with thousands of lakes, this is a paddler’s paradise, with more than 1,200 miles of canoe routes and 2,000 campsites, most of which are paddle-in only. —Ryan Krogh, Outside Online, 24 Jan. 2025

Thompson, co-owner of Down Wind Sports, is a key organizer for major community events and an avid climber and paddler. —Outside Online, 15 Jan. 2025

Kristensen told Outside that the arduous journey was a true test for any paddler—especially when gusting winds kicked up. —Owen Clarke, Outside Online, 30 Oct. 2024

Sold by a healer who learned at the U, This shore invites campers and paddlers like you. —Christine Clarridge, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for paddler

• saddler