2 entries found for caddie.
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caddie caddy

Main Entry: cad·die
Variant(s): or cad·dy /kad-/
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural caddies
Etymology: from Scottish caddie, cawdy "one who works at odd jobs," from French cadet "one training for military service," derived from Latin caput "head" --related to CAD, CADET, CAPTAIN
: a person who carries a golfer's clubs
- caddie or caddy verb
Word History In Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries, a person who made a living by doing odd jobs was called a cawdy or caddie. The word caddie comes from the French word cadet, which was borrowed into English in the 17th century. The chief meaning of cadet in both French and English is "a student military officer." The first Scottish caddies formed an organized group, and it may be that the somewhat military structure of the group suggested the name. These caddies looked for odd jobs wherever they could, and after a time the name spread from Scotland into England. Some of the caddies lived near the English universities and took jobs working for students. With scorn the students referred to the lower-class caddies as cads. Then they used the term for any person they thought of as having poor manners. That is how we get our modern English word cad for "a man who does not behave like a gentleman." Other caddies found jobs carrying clubs for players of golf, which began in Scotland. As the popularity of the game grew, so did use of the term caddie for one who carries a golfer's clubs.