addling

Variant of addle

addle definition

ad·dle (ad′'l)

adjective

  1. rotten: said of an egg
  2. muddled; confused: now usually in compounds addlebrained

Etymology: ME adel in adel-eye, addle-egg, transl. of L ovum urinae, egg of urine, confused form of ovum urinum (a rendering of Gr ourion ōon, wind-egg) < OE adela; akin to MLowG adele, mud

intransitive verb, transitive verb addled -·dled, addling -·dling

  1. to make or become rotten
  2. to make or become muddled or confused

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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