coddle Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb treat with excessive indulgence
    featherbed; pamper; cosset; cocker; mollycoddle; spoil; indulge; baby.
    • grandparents often pamper the children
    • Let's not mollycoddle our students!
  2. verb cook in nearly boiling water
    • coddle eggs

WordNet

Cod"dle transitive verb
Etymology
Cf. Prov. E. caddle to coax, spoil, fondle, and Cade, a. & v. t.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Coddled ; present participle & verbal noun Coddling
Definitions
  1. To parboil, or soften by boiling.
    It [the guava fruit] may be coddled. Dampier.
  2. To treat with excessive tenderness; to pamper.
    How many of our English princes have been coddled at home by their fond papas and mammas! Thackeray.
    He [Lord Byron] never coddled his reputation. Southey.

Webster 1913