verb to treat with excessive indulgence or tenderness
In cooking, to coddle means to cook gently in water just below boiling point, often used for eggs or fruits.
In parenting, to coddle means to treat someone with too much care or kindness, often resulting in overprotection or spoiling.
In hospitality, to coddle means to pamper or indulge guests, providing them with special treatment or attention.
In the writing world, 'coddle' can be used to describe the act of treating something delicately or with excessive care, such as coddling a character in a story to make them more sympathetic.
Psychologists may use the term 'coddle' when discussing certain parenting styles that involve overprotecting or spoiling a child, which can have negative effects on their development.