Term
Paddle
The equipment you hit the ball with. It is smaller than a tennis racket and shaped like a board, with no strings.
The equipment you hit the ball with. It is shaped like a board, with no strings (pickleball.com). Its length can be up to 17 inches (43.18 cm), and its length plus its width can be up to 24 inches (60.96 cm) (3.D.2).
In tournaments, players use paddles approved by USA Pickleball (3.D.1, 18.A, Paddle rules). If the ball hits the hand holding the paddle, below the wrist, it is not a fault (10.C.3, The hand holding the paddle counts as part of the paddle).
How to read the sources: numbers like (8.F.4) are rulebook sections, and links are outside sources. An "Author's note" is the author's personal experience, not an official rule.