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Puddle, as a noun, refers to a small pool of water, usually small enough to walk through but not large enough for a raft.

What would a (temporary) pool of water larger than a puddle be called?

It just rained, so watch out for puddles

vs

It just rained quite a bit and there's a [large puddle] on the corner, so take the other road

I would imagine a pool of water might be correct, but I've never heard anyone refer to a body of standing rain water as a pool. And floodwater would be too much.

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    We usually go with hyperbole and say, “There’s now a lake on the corner so you’ll have to take the long way around.”
    – Jim
    Commented Sep 22, 2016 at 1:23
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    A small pond is called a pondlet. I like your idea of pool. It suggests something bigger than a puddle.
    – DyingIsFun
    Commented Sep 22, 2016 at 1:30
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    A large puddle is a large puddle. A pool of water of any size is a pool of water. In particular, a pool of water is likely to be considered, without further context, to be a large puddle or something larger.
    – Drew
    Commented Sep 22, 2016 at 1:55
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    Pool captures what you're looking for perfectly. Commented Sep 22, 2016 at 3:25
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    I think the expected size of a "pool" depends on context. "The sink overflowed and now there's a pool of water on the floor" suggests a small amount of water, much tinier than a puddle.
    – Barmar
    Commented Sep 23, 2016 at 15:39

2 Answers 2

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You've identified the best answer in your question: pool.

M-W:

pool: a small body of standing liquid [emphasis added]

Your example:

It just rained quite a bit and there's a (large) pool on the corner, so take the other road.

I've often heard people refer to "a large body of standing rainwater" as a pool. [emphasis added]

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A (temporary) swamp comes very close to what you seek.

It just rained quite a bit and there's a (temporary) swamp on the corner, so take the other road.

ODO:

swamp NOUN

1.1 An area of waterlogged ground:
‘the ceaseless deluge had turned the lawn into a swamp’

‘In the Serra da Bocaina, plants grow along the edges of montane forests, as well as in well drained high-altitude grasslands and temporary swamps that arc flooded in the summer months.’

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  • I myself wouldn't use swamp for a flooded area, but it's there in the dictionary. Commented Nov 28, 2016 at 5:25
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    Thank you, @AlanCarmack! It was quite disheartening to see downvotes for something straight out of a reputed dictionary; so, your support helps! :) Commented Nov 28, 2016 at 5:28
  • Thanks for the suggestion, but it doesn't really fit in the "road" scenario. Commented Nov 28, 2016 at 20:53
  • +1 If a lot of debris is in the puddle or pool, it could be quite like a swamp. And if the road is a dirt road, swamp could be just right.
    – ab2
    Commented Jan 3, 2017 at 4:52

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