swaddling

Variant of swaddle

transitive verb swaddled, swaddling

  1. to wrap (a newborn baby) in swaddling clothes, a blanket, etc.
  2. to bind in or as in bandages; swathe

Origin: ME swathlen, prob. altered (infl. by swathen, to swathe) < swethlen < OE swethel, swaddling band, akin to swathian, to swathe

noun

a cloth, bandage, etc. used for swaddling

Origin: ME swathil < OE swethel: see swaddlethe

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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