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.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

fondle canoodle caress cuddle

Word family

Forms nuzzlednuzzlesnuzzling

Derived forms nuzzlernuzzlingnuzzlysnoozlesnuzzle

Related forms nursle

Simplified etymology

Nuzzle is recorded from late Middle English and may derive from nose.

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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