cuddle

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈkʌdl̩/ UK /ˈkʌdl̩/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to hold close in an affectionate embrace

The children cuddled together under the warm blanket.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to hold close in an... snuggle nestle embrace hug nuzzle caress

Word family

Derived forms cuddlycuddler

Etymology

First attested in the 16th century, of uncertain origin; perhaps a variant of dialectal 'cull' ('to embrace') or a frequentative of 'coll' (from Latin 'collum', 'neck'), or simply imitative of cozy nestling.

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# cuddle

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈkʌdl̩/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈkʌdl̩/

## Meanings
1. to hold close in an affectionate embrace

## Examples
- The children cuddled together under the warm blanket.

## Synonyms
- snuggle
- nestle
- embrace
- hug
- nuzzle
- caress

## Derived Forms
- cuddly
- cuddler

## Etymology
First attested in the 16th century, of uncertain origin; perhaps a variant of dialectal 'cull' ('to embrace') or a frequentative of 'coll' (from Latin 'collum', 'neck'), or simply imitative of cozy nestling.

## AI Etymology
Cuddle is first attested in the 16th century, of uncertain origin; perhaps a variant of dialectal 'cull' ('to embrace') or a frequentative of 'coll' (from Latin 'collum', 'neck'), or simply imitative of cozy nestling. In present use as verb and noun, it means "to hold close in an affectionate embrace", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Because the origin is uncertain, the safest account is descriptive: the attested senses can be explained, but the ultimate formation remains unresolved. Derived forms include cuddly and cuddler.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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