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Definition of "coddle" [cod•dle]

  • To cook in water just below the boiling point: coddle eggs. (verb-transitive)
  • To treat indulgently; baby. See Synonyms at pamper. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "coddle" in a sentence
  • "Elsewhere, Hastert said the Democratic plan would "coddle" -- oh, how they love to accuse others of coddling -- "the same terrorists who plan to harm innocent Americans and their freedom worldwide.""
  • "Wanting to see the law respected is not the same as wanting to "coddle" our enemies."
  • "One Afghan politician believes that, while Gen. David Petraeus will almost certainly pursue a counterinsurgency strategy similar to his predecessor's, he will be less inclined to "coddle" Karzai on corruption than McChrystal was."