English Reference

Word

caddy

Phoneticscad·dy

US/ˈkædi/

UK/kˈædi/

Definitions

01golf assistant

B2 · Sport

n. a person who carries a golfer's bags and helps them with advice during a game.

n. a person hired to assist a golfer by carrying their clubs and providing tactical advice on the course.

“The professional golfer leaned on his caddy for advice before choosing which club to use.”

“Experienced caddies do more than carry equipment; they provide essential insights into wind conditions and green speeds that can decide a tournament.”

Usage

Often spelled 'caddie', though 'caddy' is a common alternative.

02storage container

B2

n. a small box or tray used to keep items like tea, tools, or cleaning supplies organized.

n. a small container, often with internal partitions, designed for the organized storage of specific household items.

“She kept all her shower gels and shampoos in a plastic caddy hanging from the shower head.”

“The antique tea caddy was lined with lead foil to ensure the expensive leaves remained dry and fragrant.”

Synonyms

03Cadillac car

C2

n. a casual name for a Cadillac car.

n. a colloquial abbreviation for a Cadillac brand automobile.

“He spent all weekend washing and polishing his vintage pink Caddy.”

“The protagonist cruised through the desert in a battered old Caddy, the chrome bumpers glinting under the midday sun.”

American English · Informal · Slang

Synonyms

Real-World Examples

“Bouchier Hayes recommends a portable shower caddy if you don’t want to share your favourite products.”
The Guardian · 14 Sept 2026
“My item is … a basic plastic shower caddy.”
The Guardian · 21 Aug 2026

Etymology

An alteration of catty (“(unit of) weight used in China, equivalent to 1⅓ pounds avoirdupois (about 0.605 kilograms)”), borrowed from Malay kati (“weight used in China, Indonesia, and Japan”), from Tamil கட்டி (kaṭṭi, “measure of weight; clod, lump”), from கட்டு (kaṭṭu, “to coagulate, congeal, or consolidate (into a concretion); to harden”).

A variant of caddie (etymology 1).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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