dandle

verb

dan·​dle ˈdan-dᵊl How to pronounce dandle (audio)
dandled; dandling ˈdan-(d)liŋ How to pronounce dandle (audio)
-dᵊl-iŋ

transitive verb

1
: to move up and down in one's arms or on one's knee in affectionate play
dandle a baby
2
: pamper, pet

Examples of dandle in a Sentence

the college president is a past master at dandling wealthy alumni
Recent Examples on the Web An hour later, Musk took X to New York and dandled him on his knee while being photographed for Time. Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023 The day after the election, Taaz Robinson, a fellow third-year, posted a picture on Buckingham’s Facebook page of Donald Trump as an infant being dandled by Vladimir Putin. Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dandle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dandle was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near dandle

Cite this Entry

“Dandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dandle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dandle

verb
dan·​dle ˈdan-dᵊl How to pronounce dandle (audio)
dandled; dandling -dliŋ How to pronounce dandle (audio)
-dᵊl-iŋ
1
: to move up and down in one's arms or on one's knee in affectionate play
2
: pamper, pet
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