coddle

verb

cod·​dle ˈkä-dᵊl 

coddled; coddling ˈkäd-liŋ 

ˈkä-dᵊl-iŋ

transitive verb

1

: to cook (something, such as eggs) in liquid slowly and gently just below the boiling point

coddled the eggs for the Caesar salad

2

: to treat with extreme or excessive care or kindness : pamper

accused the court of coddling criminals

colleges that coddle their athletes

coddler

ˈkäd-lər 

ˈkä-dᵊl-ər

noun

Synonyms

• boil
• parboil
• poach
• simmer
• stew

Examples of coddle in a Sentence

The judges were accused of coddling criminals.

a hearty, traditional breakfast that included coddled eggs

Recent Examples on the Web

The user is coddled by the machine, voluntarily infantilized. —Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2024

Sleek rooms have padded vinyl floors that coddle bare feet, and the buzzy lobby level bar is all DJ sets and mixology. —Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2024

In the snap, the dad of three could be seen focused on his phone in one hand while coddling a sleeping baby Lou in the other. —Emma Aerin Becker, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024

In the snap, the dad of three, 39, can be seen focused on his phone in one hand while coddling a sleeping baby Lou in the other. —Emma Aerin Becker, People.com, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

perhaps altered from caudle "to administer a caudle to," verbal derivative of caudle

Note: The meaning "to pamper," earlier "to treat as if in need of nursing," attested from the second half of the 18th century, cannot be related with certainty to the cooking sense and may be of distinct origin.

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

coddle

verb

cod·​dle ˈkäd-ᵊl 

coddled; coddling ˈkäd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to cook slowly in water below the boiling point

coddle eggs

2

: to treat with excessive care or kindness