Dictionary

mollycoddle en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈmɑl.iˌkɑd.əl/ (US)
• /ˈmɒl.ɪˌkɒd.əl/ (UK)

Etymology

From molly + coddle.

Meanings

1. (archaic) A person, especially a man or a boy, who is pampered and overprotected.
   • "What are you, a Mollycoddle?" 1910, Lower Coast Gazette (Pointe-a-la-Hache, La.), When Teddy is Given the Franking Privilege:
   • No matter what pacifist "flubdubs and flapdoodle mollycoddles" might say, the President [Teddy Roosevelt] knew that if there were a general war then America could well be drawn into it. 2004, Chris Wallace, Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage:
   • You have been bred up as a molly-coddle, Pen, and spoilt by the women. 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 32, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:

Forms

Translations (19)

grc τηθαλλαδοῦς (person who is pampered and overprotected) · nl moederskindje (person who is pampered and overprotected) · bg мамино детенце (person who is pampered and overprotected) · it preferito (person who is pampered and overprotected) · tr muhallebi çocuğu (person who is pampered and overprotected) · sh maza (person who is pampered and overprotected) · nl wekeling (person who is pampered and overprotected) · tr hanım evladı (person who is pampered and overprotected) · sh razmaženko (person who is pampered and overprotected) · fi mammanpoika (person who is pampered and overprotected) · it beniamino (person who is pampered and overprotected) · el παραχαϊδεμένος (person who is pampered and overprotected) · it coccolo (person who is pampered and overprotected) · cs mazánek (person who is pampered and overprotected) · it cocco (person who is pampered and overprotected) · scn papareḍḍa (person who is pampered and overprotected) · ga peata mamaí (person who is pampered and overprotected) · sh mamina maza (person who is pampered and overprotected) · it prediletto (person who is pampered and overprotected)

mollycoddle en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈmɑl.iˌkɑd.əl/ (US)
• /ˈmɒl.ɪˌkɒd.əl/ (UK)

Etymology

From molly + coddle.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To be overprotective and indulgent toward; to pamper.
   • Rich countries also need more competition in traditionally mollycoddled sectors such as education. Oct 13th 2012, “Policy prescriptions: A True Progressivism”, in The Economist:
   • Heerendorp by this means obtained an evil notoriety, and it was ordered to be burnt, and the women of Jacob's family to be transferred to a concentration camp where they would be mollycoddled at the expense of the English taxpayer. 1904, Sabine Baring-Gould, The White Flag:

Forms

Deriveds

mollycoddler

Translations (20)

fr materner (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · hu ajnároz (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · fr couver (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · mi morimori (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · pl rozpieścić (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · pl rozpieszczać (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · hu babusgat (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · hu tutujgat (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · nl pamperen (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · bg изнежвам (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · cs rozmazlovat (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · de verhätscheln (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · hu elkényeztet (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · ru балова́ть (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · nl vertroetelen (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · nl bemoederen (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · el κανακεύω (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · bg глезя (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · el παραχαϊδεύω (to be overprotective and indulgent toward) · hu kényeztet (to be overprotective and indulgent toward)