Definition of "cradling" [cra•dling]

• Present participle of cradle. (verb)
• The act by which one cradles a child etc. (noun)
• The act of using a cradle (the tool). (noun)
• The cutting of a cask into two pieces lengthwise, to enable it to pass a narrow place, the two parts being afterwards united and rehooped. (noun)
• The framework in arched or coved ceilings to which the laths are nailed. (noun)

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• "I walked in cradling him as far from me as possible (thank God it was warm and I was in short sleeves) and the nurses immediately escorted us past all the horrified people in the waiting room directly to an examination room to deal with the problem."
• "As players run down the field with the ball, they must simultaneously rotate the stick back and forth in a motion called "cradling" to create the centrifugal force necessary to keep the ball in the pocket."
• "It's similar to what I witnessed in Francis Collins when he talked about Jesus, his voice and expression cradling something holy."