waddle

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: wad=dle

CIDE DICTIONARY

waddle, v. i. [Freq. of wade; cf. AS. wædlian to beg, from wadan to go. See Wade.].

 To walk with short steps, swaying the body from one side to the other, like a duck or very fat person; to move clumsily and totteringly along; to toddle; to stumble; as, a child waddles when he begins to walk; a goose waddles.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
"She drawls her words, and waddles in her pace."  [1913 Webster]

waddle, v. t. 

 To trample or tread down, as high grass, by walking through it.  Drayton.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

waddle, v. & n.
--v.intr. walk with short steps and a swaying motion, like a stout short-legged person or a bird with short legs set far apart (e.g. a duck or goose).
--n. a waddling gait.

Derivative

waddler n.

Etymology

perh. frequent. of WADE

THESAURUS

waddle

amble, andante, barge, bowl along, bundle, claudicate, claudication, clump, crawl, creep, dead march, dogtrot, drag, drag along, drag out, droop, flounce, foot, footpace, footslog, funeral march, gait, gallop, go dead slow, go slow, halt, hippety-hop, hitch, hobble, hop, idle, inch, inch along, jog, jog trot, jog-trot, jolt, jump, laze, leisurely gait, limp, lock step, lumber, lumbering pace, lunge, lurch, mince, mincing steps, mosey, pace, paddle, peg, piaffe, piaffer, plod, poke, poke along, prance, rack, roll, sashay, saunter, scuff, scuffle, scuttle, shamble, shuffle, shuffle along, sidle, single-foot, skip, slink, slither, slog, slouch, slow march, slow motion, slowness, stagger, stagger along, stalk, stamp, step, stomp, straddle, straggle, stride, stroll, strolling gait, strut, stump, swagger, swing, tittup, toddle, toddle along, totter, totter along, traipse, tread, trip, trot, trudge, velocity, walk, wamble, wiggle, wobble, worm, worm along

ROGET THESAURUS

waddle

Slowness

VB move slowly, creep, crawl, lag, slug, drawl, linger, loiter, saunter, plod, trudge, stump along, lumber, trail, drag, dawdle, grovel, worm one's way, steal along, job on, rub on, bundle on, toddle, waddle, wabble, slug, traipse, slouch, shuffle, halt, hobble, limp, caludicate, shamble, flag, falter, trotter, stagger, mince, step short, march in slow time, march in funeral procession, take one's time, hang fire, retard, relax, slacken, check, moderate, rein in, curb, reef, strike sail, shorten sail, take in sail, put on the drag, apply the brake, clip the wings, reduce the speed, slacken speed, slacken one's pace, lose ground.

Deviation

VB alter one's course, deviate, depart from, turn, trend, bend, curve, swerve, heel, bear off, gybe, wear, intervert, deflect, divert, divert from its course, put on a new scent, shift, shunt, draw aside, crook, warp, stray, straggle, sidle, diverge, tralineate, digress, wander, wind, twist, meander, veer, tack, divagate, sidetrack, turn aside, turn a corner, turn away from, wheel, steer clear of, ramble, rove, drift, go astray, go adrift, yaw, dodge, step aside, ease off, make way for, shy, fly off at a tangent, glance off, wheel about, face about, turn to the right about, face to the right about, waddle, go out of one's way, lose one's way.