# coddle

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈkɒd.əl/ · frequency rank #65,000

## Definitions
1. To treat gently or with great care.
2. To cook slowly in hot water that is below the boiling point.
3. To exercise excessive or damaging authority in an attempt to protect. To overprotect.

## Etymology
Probably from caudle. Compare British dialect caddle (“to coax, spoil, fondle”) and cade.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/coddle