▪ I. caddy, n.1
(ˈkædɪ)
[app. a corruption of catty n., Malay kati, a weight equal to 11/3 lb. avoirdupois.]
1. a. A small box for holding tea. Usually tea-caddy.
| 1792 Madras Courier 2 Dec. (Y.) A Quantity of Tea in Quarter Chests and Caddies, imported last season. 1793 Cowper To Lady Hesketh 19 Jan. (R.) When you went you took with you the key of the caddy. 1833 H. Martineau Brooke F. xii. 133 The best tea-tray and caddy. 1868 F. Paget Lucretia 198 This house..instead of looking like a tea-caddy..might rather be said to resemble a litter of caddies. |
b. attrib. and Comb., as caddy-spoon, a short-handled spoon of a special shape used for measuring tea out of the caddy.
| 1927 Daily Express 31 Aug. 4 Old silver caddy-spoons that have survived from Georgian days. |
2. a. orig. U.S. A can with a lid, for water, tobacco, biscuits, etc.
| 1883 Harper's Mag. Jan. 201/1 Near where his..saw and water caddy are lying. 1886 in Alberta Hist. Rev. (1971) Summer 16/1 A 28-pound caddy of tobacco. 1960 G. W. Target Teachers (1963) 18 The tin biscuit caddy on the mantelpiece. |
b. gen. A storage container for objects (usu. small) in everyday use.
| 1976 National Observer (U.S.) 12 June 17/2 The 4-drawer caddy comes in your choice of red, yellow or orange. Sliding white drawers hold stamps, tacks, paper-clips, [etc.]. 1977 Observer 13 Feb. 13/7 (Advt.), Shoe Caddy holds 6 pairs of shoes in individual..compartments. 1982 New Scientist 21 Oct. 162/1 The discs are housed in caddies much like those used for the floppy discs in personal and mini computers. |
▪ II. ˈcaddy, n.2
[? f. cad1.]
A ghost, bugbear.
| 1781 Hutton Tour Caves, Caddy, a ghost, or bugbear. |
▪ III. caddy, v.
(ˈkædɪ)
[f. caddy, var. caddie n.]
intr. To act as caddy for a golfer. Also transf.
| 1908 Daily Chron. 26 Aug. 4/7 You've caddied for me before. 1923 Wodehouse Inimit. Jeeves vii. 71 After lunch I should go off and caddy for Honoria on a shopping tour down Regent Street. 1928 Daily Tel. 29 May 9/4 The Prince had a local caddie named William Everett..who caddied for him once before. |
▪ IV. caddy
var. of caddie.