cat's cradle
A children's game of forming string into various shapes around one's fingers.
cradle
/ˈkɹeɪdəl/
noun 5verb 5
Collocations
2(verb.)
ADV
gently
The mother gently cradled the newborn baby against her chest.
PREP
against
The injured bird rested its head against the soft blanket in her cradle.
Definitions
noun
1
A bed or cot for a baby, oscillating on rockers or swinging on pivots.
No sooner was I crept out of my cradle / But I was made a king, at nine months old.
the cradle that received thee at thy birth
2
The place of origin, or in which anything is nurtured or protected in the earlier period of existence.
a cradle of crime
the cradle of liberty
3
Infancy, or very early life.
from the cradle to the grave
from their cradles bred together
4
An implement consisting of a broad scythe for cutting grain, with a set of long fingers parallel to the scythe, designed to receive the grain, and to lay it evenly in a swath.
5
A tool used in mezzotint engraving, which, by a rocking motion, raises burrs on the surface of the plate, so as to prepare the ground.
verb
1
To contain in or as if in a cradle.
2
To rock (a baby to sleep).
3
To wrap protectively, to hold gently and protectively.
cradling the injured man’s head in her arms
The little girl was left alone in her tiny bedroom, cradling her dead hamster.
4
To lull or quieten, as if by rocking.
5
To nurse or train in infancy.
He that hath been cradled in majesty will not leave the throne to play with beggars.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
noun — a trough that can be rocked back and forth
noun — where something originated or was nurtured in its early exis
- birthplace
- provenance
- provenience
Antonyms
Idioms & Phrases
rob the cradle
To marry or become romantically involved with a much younger person, especially one from a younger generation.
The actress, 31, also pooh-poohs the notion that she's robbing the cradle with Timberlake, 22.
cradle robber
A person who marries or becomes romantically involved with someone who is much younger, or who employs or otherwise engages a young person for a purpose inappropriate for his or her age.
"And no mother," he shouted, "can call ME a ‘fortune-hunter’ and a ‘cradle-robber’ and think I'll make good by marrying her daughter!"
cradle snatcher
A person who prefers to date people significantly younger than themselves.
the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world
Women, particularly mothers, have a decisive influence on the future direction of society because they raise and nurture the next generation.
Blessings on the hand of women! . . . For the hand that rocks the cradle Is the hand that rules the world.
Example Bank
601
No sooner was I crept out of my cradle / But I was made a king, at nine months old.
Wiktionary02
the cradle that received thee at thy birth
Wiktionary03
Hush-a-by, baby, upon the tree-top; / When the wind blows the cradle will rock; / When the bough breaks the cradle will fall; / Down will come cradle and baby and all.
Wiktionary04
cradling the injured man’s head in her arms
Wiktionary05
The little girl was left alone in her tiny bedroom, cradling her dead hamster.
Wiktionary06
He that hath been cradled in majesty will not leave the throne to play with beggars.
WiktionaryUsage Notes
i Register
In some senses, cradle is marked as figuratively. Watch for register when choosing this word.
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