canoodle

verb

ca·​noo·​dle kə-ˈnü-dᵊl 

canoodled; canoodling kə-ˈnü-dliŋ  -ˈnü-dᵊl-iŋ  ; canoodles

intransitive verb

informal

: to engage in amorous embracing, caressing, and kissing : pet, fondle

lovers canoodling in the park

… used to sit in the sun porch in the evening, among the geraniums and the begonias, whispering, holding hands, canoodling.

—Edna O'Brien

… widows in their sixties canoodle and exchange sweet nothings with boys a third of their age.

—Matthew Gwyther

Did you know?

The Foolish History of Canoodle

The origins of canoodle are uncertain, but may have their genesis in an English dialect noun of the same spelling meaning “donkey,” “fool,” or “foolish lover.” That canoodle may itself be an alteration of the word noodle, used to mean “a foolish person.” (The fool noodle likely comes from noddle, a word for the head.) The guess seems reasonable given that, since its appearance in the language around the mid-19th century, canoodle has been most often used lightheartedly for playful public displays of affection by couples who are head over heels in love.

Examples of canoodle in a Sentence

Two lovers were canoodling on a park bench.

Recent Examples on the Web

There was a coordinated social media effort by the NFL to allow some of the league’s star quarterbacks — namely Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow and Jaxson Dart — to have their popular girlfriends canoodling with them at preseason practices. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

Kotch and Parnevik, as the negligently canoodling counselors, inspire the opposite reaction as two characters whose destiny is inevitable and earned. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026

On the night of the reprieve, Owen, cut loose for the evening by his girlfriend, who wants to canoodle with a neighbor, vomits in the vicinity of Allie’s high heels, in what might be called a meet-boot. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026

Fortunata's guests dining alfresco had a postcard view of the basilica and the bustling piazza, where teenagers canoodled on the edge of a fountain. — Natalie B. Compton The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from English dialect canoodle, noun, donkey, fool, foolish lover

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for canoodle

• boodle
• doodle
• feudal
• noodle
• poodle

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