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 body2 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