# cradling

Pronunciation: say "KRAYD-ling" /ˈkɹeɪdlɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of cradle. — present participle and gerund of cradle
   - Simple: Present participle and gerund of cradle. Use it after 'is', 'are' or 'was', or to name the action itself.
   - _The goalkeeper lay on the grass, cradling his injured wrist against his chest._
   - _Low hills cradling the village keep it sheltered from the worst of the wind._

## Noun

2. The act of holding a child, or something treated like one, gently and protectively.
   - Simple: Holding a baby or something else gently and carefully, to keep it safe.
   - _Hours of cradling and rocking finally settled the restless infant._
   - _Young monkeys receive fewer cradlings from their mothers once they start to explore on their own._
3. In carpentry, the framework in an arched or coved ceiling to which the laths are nailed.
   - Simple: The wooden frame inside a curved ceiling that thin strips of wood are nailed to.
   - _The carpenters shaped the cradling to follow the curve of the vaulted hall._
   - _Once the cradling was in place, laths were nailed across it and plastered over._
4. In coopering, the cutting of a cask lengthwise into two pieces so it can pass a narrow place, after which the halves are joined and rehooped.
   - Simple: Cutting a barrel in two the long way so it fits through a narrow space, then joining it again.
   - _The cask was too wide for the cellar door, so the cooper recommended cradling._
   - _After the cradling, the two halves were fitted back together and fresh hoops were driven on._

## Other meanings

- (noun) The act of using a cradle (the tool).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/cradling (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).