Main Entry: ¹cra·dle

Pronunciation: \ˈkrā-d^əl\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English cradel, from Old English cradol; perhaps akin to Old High German kratto basket, Sanskrit grantha knot

Date: before 12th century

1 a : a bed or cot for a baby usually on rockers or pivots b : a framework or support suggestive of a baby's cradle: as (1) : a framework of bars and rods (2) : the support for a telephone receiver or handset c : an implement with rods like fingers attached to a scythe and used formerly for harvesting grain d : a frame to keep the bedclothes from contact with an injured part of the body
2 a : the earliest period of life : infancy <from the cradle to the grave> b : a place of origin <the cradle of civilization>
3 : a rocking device used in panning for gold