waddle

/ˈwɒd.əl/

WⱰD · əl (2 syllables)

English Noun Top 37,726

Definition

A squat, swaying gait.

Etymology

From Middle English wadelen, frequentative form of waden, equivalent to wade + -le. Compare Saterland Frisian wuttelje (“to waddle”), Old High German wadalōn (“to roam; wander”), Middle High German wadelen, wedelen (“to wander; rove”), German wedeln (“to waggle”). First known use in English in a version of the Song of Roland around the year 1400. (Source:OED online)

Example Sentences

"the waddle of a duck"