To walk with short steps while swaying from side to side, like a duck or penguin.
Possibly from 'wade' (to walk through water), or related to the swaying motion. First recorded in the 1500s, the origin is uncertain but the word mimics the actual gait.
The word 'waddle' mimics the physical motion so perfectly that it's practically onomatopoetic for movement instead of sound. When you say it, your mouth literally shapes like a waddling walk.
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