rice-paddies

Definition
  1. Noun (plural; singular: ):
    • Flooded fields for rice cultivation: "rice-paddies" are flat, water-filled fields used for growing rice, especially in East and Southeast Asia. The term refers to the agricultural land itself, not the rice plant or grain.
    • Synonymous with paddy fields: In common usage, "rice-paddies" is interchangeable with "paddies" when referring specifically to rice farming.
Usage Examples
  • (Flooded fields on slopes used for growing rice.)
  • (The agricultural land where rice is cultivated.)
  • (The landscape of flooded fields.)
Advanced Usage
  • "Rice-paddies" vs. "paddies": "Paddies" alone can refer to any wet, flooded field for crops (e.g., taro), but "rice-paddies" specifically denotes fields for rice.
  • Cultural significance: In many Asian cultures, rice-paddies are not just farmland but symbols of life, community, and tradition.
    • The ancient rice-paddies of the Ifugao people are a UNESCO World Heritage site. (Culturally and historically important flooded fields.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Paddy (n): a field where rice is grown (singular); often used as a shorter form.
    • The paddy was filled with water. (A single rice field.)
  • Paddy field (n): the full term for a rice field.
    • The paddy fields stretched for miles. (Expansive agricultural land.)
  • Rice terrace (n): a stepped rice-paddy on a slope.
    • The rice terraces of the Philippines are famous. (Stepped fields for rice.)
Synonyms
  • Paddies: the common shortened form.
  • Rice fields: a general term for any land used to grow rice, not necessarily flooded.
  • Wet fields: a descriptive term for flooded agricultural plots.
Related Idioms
  • "Like a frog in a rice paddy": (informal, regional) describes someone who is very comfortable or at home in a wet, messy environment.
    • He splashed through the mud like a frog in a rice paddy. (He moved easily and naturally in the wet conditions.)