swaddle

verb

swad·​dle ˈswä-dᵊl How to pronounce swaddle (audio)
swaddled; swaddling ˈswäd-liŋ How to pronounce swaddle (audio)
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 loatheNina Auerbach

Examples of swaddle in a Sentence

He swaddled the baby in a blanket.
Recent Examples on the Web The pair announced the birth of their son on Instagram, sharing a photo of the newborn swaddled in a blanket with their hands placed gently on top of him. Ariana Quihuiz, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 The former stretches to almost 30 feet long with a polished marble fireplace, and the latter is swaddled in rich, emerald-green wallpaper that depicts a naturalistic scene of trees and flowers in the early bloom of spring. Mark David, Robb Report, 22 Feb. 2024 One is a note from his birth mother, and the other is the blanket in which the days-old baby was swaddled in when he was placed inside a shoebox. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 9 Feb. 2024 Once rescuers dropped the deer off on the shore, concerned residents from Waterford Condos swaddled their bodies in towels to fight hypothermia, a photo shows. Brooke Baitinger, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2024 The next morning, the group reassembled for a snowshoeing experience swaddled in the Montagna Collection. Vogue, 25 Jan. 2024 This week, Ramzy was swaddled in a onesie outgrown by another child in the camp. Hajar Harb, Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2024 Many people here treat their monkeys like children, swaddling them in cribs at night and dressing them in diapers — cutting a hole for their long tails to peek through. Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2024 Faced with this crucial opportunity in his NFL existence, Cleveland stood in as part of an offensive line that swaddled Jackson as safely as a baby’s blanket. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 1 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swaddle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of swaddle was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near swaddle

Cite this Entry

“Swaddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swaddle. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

swaddle

verb
swad·​dle ˈswäd-ᵊl How to pronounce swaddle (audio)
swaddled; swaddling ˈswäd-liŋ How to pronounce swaddle (audio)
-ᵊl-iŋ
: to wrap an infant with swaddling clothes

More from Merriam-Webster on swaddle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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