A Paddle Is Held; an Oar Is Fixed to the Boat
A paddle propels a boat. The difference from an oar is whether it pivots against the hull.
A paddle is a bladed shaft used to propel a small boat. The distinction from an *oar* is mechanical rather than cosmetic: an oar pivots against a fixed point on the boat, using it as a fulcrum, while a paddle is held free in both hands. That is why rowers face backwards and canoeists face forwards.
- A boat blade. *A canoe paddle.*
- To propel with one. *Paddle upstream.*
- To wade. *Paddle in the sea.*
- Paddle your own canoe — be self-reliant. *Paddle your own canoe.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | paddle | A wooden paddle. |
| Plural | paddles | Two paddles. |
| Verb | paddle | Paddle across. |
| Related | oar | A rowing oar. |
| Related | rowlock | A brass rowlock. |
How it is used in a sentence
- An oar pivots, a paddle does not.The technical difference.
- The children paddled in the shallows.Waded.
- Up the creek without a paddle.In difficulty.
Paddle and oar
- Paddle — held free, used with both hands
- Oar — pivots in a rowlock on the boat
- Rowing — the rower faces backwards
- Canoeing — the paddler faces forwards
- Sculling — rowing with two oars, one in each hand
Of uncertain origin, recorded from the fifteenth century. The wading sense may be a separate word of imitative origin.
Paddle or oar?
An oar rests in a rowlock and pivots against the boat. A paddle is held freely, which is why paddlers face forwards.
Why do rowers face backwards?
Because pulling on a pivoted oar is more powerful than pushing, and the seated pulling stroke uses the legs and back most efficiently.