nuzzle

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈnʌz(ə)l/ UK /ˈnʌzl̩/ See IPA manual

Freq #69288

Meanings

1

verb
dig out with the snout

The pig nuzzled the truffle.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

fondle canoodle caress cuddle

Word family

Forms nuzzlednuzzlesnuzzling

Derived forms nuzzlernuzzlingnuzzlysnoozlesnuzzle

Related forms nursle

Etymology

PIE word *néh₂s The verb is derived from Middle English noselen (“to bend down”); further etymology uncertain, possibly: * a back-formation from noseling, noselyng (“on the back, supine; with the face downward, prone”, adverb), from nose (“nose”) (from Old English nosu, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *néh₂s (“nose”)) + -ling, -lyng (suffix forming adverbs denoting direction, manner, or position); or * from nose (see above) + -el, -elen (diminutive or frequentative suffix) (in which case the English word is, by surface analysis, nose + -le (frequentative suffix)). Etymology 1, verb sense 2...

noselen Middle English nosu Old English *néh₂s Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# nuzzle

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈnʌz(ə)l/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈnʌzl̩/
**Frequency rank:** 69288

## Meanings
1. dig out with the snout

## Examples
- The pig nuzzled the truffle.

## Synonyms
- fondle
- canoodle
- caress
- cuddle

## Derived Forms
- nuzzler
- nuzzling
- nuzzly
- snoozle
- snuzzle

## Related Forms
- nursle

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: noselen
- Root: nosu
- Root: *néh₂s

## Etymology
PIE word *néh₂s The verb is derived from Middle English noselen (“to bend down”); further etymology uncertain, possibly: * a back-formation from noseling, noselyng (“on the back, supine; with the face downward, prone”, adverb), from nose (“nose”) (from Old English nosu, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *néh₂s (“nose”)) + -ling, -lyng (suffix forming adverbs denoting direction, manner, or position); or * from nose (see above) + -el, -elen (diminutive or frequentative suffix) (in which case the English word is, by surface analysis, nose + -le (frequentative suffix)). Etymology 1, verb sense 2...

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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