swaddle

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to wrap a baby closely in cloth so that its arms and legs are held securely

   The nurse showed the parents how to swaddle the newborn safely.

2. 2
   verb

   to wrap, bind, or envelop someone or something closely

   He swaddled his injured hand in several layers of clean bandage.

From Middle English swathlen, related to swathe and to Old English swathul ("swaddling cloth"). The consonant changed from th to d, while the central sense of binding closely in cloth remained.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
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