swaddle

verb

swad·​dle ˈswä-dᵊl 

swaddled; swaddling

ˈswäd-liŋ,

ˈswä-dᵊl-iŋ 

transitive verb

1

a

: to wrap (an infant) with swaddling clothes

b

: envelop, swathe

legs swaddled in bandages

2

: restrain, restrict

marriage … swaddled him in a domesticity he came to loathe

—Nina Auerbach

Examples of swaddle in a Sentence

He swaddled the baby in a blanket.

Recent Examples on the Web

Best Cotton Blanket: Brooklinen Grid Knit Cotton Throw Blanket This chunky knit from Brooklinen is perfect for swaddling. —Rachel Fletcher, Architectural Digest, 14 Jan. 2025

Riders swaddled their feet with curtains torn from the train’s windows. —Robert Klara, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Jan. 2025

The weather down here is warm practically year-round, so when temperatures do drop, people tend to stock up on groceries, swaddle themselves in blankets, and hunker down with something warm to eat. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 9 Jan. 2025

The second image included a sleeping Carter, while the final photo was of the newborn baby smiling as she was swaddled in a floral blanket. —Charna Flam, People.com, 15 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English swadelen, swathelen, probably alteration of swedelen, swethelen, from swethel swaddling band, from Old English; akin to Old English swathian to swathe

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

swaddle

verb

swad·​dle ˈswäd-ᵊl 

swaddled; swaddling ˈswäd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

: to wrap an infant with swaddling clothes