Dictionary

swaddle en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈswɑdəl/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈswɒdəl/ (UK)
• /ˈswɔdəl/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English swathlen (“to bind; swaddle”), from Middle English swathel, swethel, from Old English swaþul, swæþel, sweþel, sweoþol (“swaddling cloth”), equivalent to swathe (“to wrap with fabric”) + -le (agent/instrumental suffix), the word then underwent th-stopping (its voiced th became a d). Cognate with Middle Dutch swadel (“swaddling; bandage”), Old High German swedili (“poultice”), Old English sweþian, besweþian (“to wrap; swaddle”).

Meanings

1. Anything used to swaddle with, such as a cloth or band.
   • They put me in bed in all my swaddles. 1711 June 23 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “TUESDAY, June 13, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 90; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:
   • The baby is awake, trying to escape the swaddle I have imprisoned her in. 2020, Avni Doshi, Burnt Sugar, Hamish Hamilton, page 207:

Forms

Translations (1)

tr kundak (cloth or band)

swaddle en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈswɑdəl/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈswɒdəl/ (UK)
• /ˈswɔdəl/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English swathlen (“to bind; swaddle”), from Middle English swathel, swethel, from Old English swaþul, swæþel, sweþel, sweoþol (“swaddling cloth”), equivalent to swathe (“to wrap with fabric”) + -le (agent/instrumental suffix), the word then underwent th-stopping (its voiced th became a d). Cognate with Middle Dutch swadel (“swaddling; bandage”), Old High German swedili (“poultice”), Old English sweþian, besweþian (“to wrap; swaddle”).

Meanings

1. To bind (a baby) with long narrow strips of cloth.
2. (archaic) To beat; cudgel.

Forms

Deriveds

swaddler · unswaddle · beswaddle

Relateds

swaddling

Translations (31)

io lanjizar (to bind a baby) · nl inbakeren (to bind a baby) · es fajar (to bind a baby) · fi kapaloida (to bind a baby) · uk сповивати (to bind a baby) · nl inwikkelen (to bind a baby) · el φασκιώνω (to bind a baby) · ro înfășa (to bind a baby) · fr emmailloter (to bind a baby) · de wickeln (to bind a baby) · pt enfaixar (to bind a baby) · hu bepólyál (to bind a baby) · it fasciare (to bind a baby) · ca faixar (to bind a baby) · tr kundaklamak (to bind a baby) · cmn 包裹嬰兒 /包裹婴儿 (to bind a baby) · nl omzwachtelen (to bind a baby) · cy lapio (to bind a baby) · fo reiva (to bind a baby) · ru запелена́ть (to bind a baby) · bg повивам (to bind a baby) · ar قَمَّطَ (to bind a baby) · fr langer (to bind a baby) · ru пелена́ть (to bind a baby) · nl wikkelen (to bind a baby) · uk пеленати (to bind a baby) · cy rhwymynnu (to bind a baby) · fa قنداق کردن (to bind a baby) · da svøbe (to bind a baby) · nl bakeren (to bind a baby) · mk повива (to bind a baby)