cradle
noun
cra·dle
| \ ˈkrā-dᵊl
\
\
Definition of cradle
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: a bed or cot for a baby usually on rockers or pivots
b
: a framework or support suggestive of a baby's cradle: such as
(1)
: a framework of bars and rods
(2)
: the support for a telephone receiver or handset
(3)
: a charging station for a device (such as a smartphone or tablet)
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
2a
: 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
cradle
verb
cradled;
cradling\ ˈkrād-liŋ
, ˈkrā-dᵊl-iŋ \
, ˈkrā-dᵊl-iŋ \
Definition of cradle (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: to place or keep in or as if in a cradle
c
: to support protectively or intimately
cradling the injured man's head in her arms
2
: to cut (grain) with a cradle scythe
3
: to place, raise, support, or transport on a cradle
obsolete
: to rest in or as if in a cradle
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Synonyms for cradle
Synonyms: Noun
birthplace, home, mother country, motherland
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Examples of cradle in a Sentence
Noun
She placed the phone back on its cradle. A number of ships were resting in their cradles in the shipyard.Verb
He cradled her face in his hands. She was cradling the injured man's head in her arms.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The displays include a cradle commissioned for Princess Louise, Victoria and Albert’s sixth child, and drawings made by Victoria after her coronation at 19. — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, "Hail, Victoria: Britain celebrates the Queen’s 200th birthday in grand style," 18 July 2019 The loss did not hurt Jericho, as Okada used a cradle pinfall to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat (the same finish was used in the first fall of Okada’s best-of-three falls match against Kenny Omega last June). — Justin Barrasso, SI.com, "Undertaker-Goldberg Was the Nadir of an Eventful Weekend in Wrestling," 10 June 2019 Men who preyed on younger women were called letches, cradle-robbers, dogs. — Jill Ciment, Harper's magazine, "Then Again," 10 June 2019 Many of the more than 1,000 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails are accessible from Banff and the nearby hamlet of Lake Louise, cradle of that hypnotic indigo lake. — John Briley, Washington Post, "Better than Banff? In British Columbia, Nelson is a contender," 20 June 2019 The Metropolitan Museum has once again brought us back to the Middle East—to a cradle of civilization that, by a cruel turn of history, has become a scene of hatred, destruction, and cold-blooded pillage. — Peter Brown, The New York Review of Books, "Cities That Touched Heaven," 6 June 2019 At the epicenter of the drive to control the Christian community in China is Henan, the cradle of Chinese civilization and the entry point for many of the earliest foreign missionaries. — Yanan Wang, Fox News, "Christian heartland opens window into fight for China's soul," 7 Aug. 2018 The victory speech served as a valediction for Woods, who had grown up in the corporate cradle of Buick’s sponsorship, and also for Michiganders who had considered a PGA Tour event in their state to be almost a birthright since 1958. — Carlos Monarrez, Detroit Free Press, "How Detroit Golf Club landed the PGA Tour's Rocket Mortgage Classic," 23 June 2019 And most incidents of terrorism have occurred in the remote Sinai peninsula, rather than in the heavily populated Upper Egypt, which was a cradle of radical Islam during earlier generations. — Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, "Mohamed Morsi, Who Brought the Muslim Brotherhood to the Egyptian Presidency," 19 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
On the white marble counter, a shiny red Berkel slicer cradles a tower of mortadella. — Jay Cheshes, WSJ, "Chef Massimo Bottura’s New Italian Inn," 5 Feb. 2019 Meanwhile, a glowing Kylie, whose new gold look is highlighted by a high-necked, floor-length shimmering gown, is at various points seen cradling Travis's body and holding a very adorable lamb (who somehow has the ability to rap) on her lap. — Dan Barna, Allure, "Kylie Jenner Transforms Into the Virgin Mary for Travis Scott's "Stop Trying to Be God" Video," 7 Aug. 2018 Parents cradled some of the children in their arms; others toddled alongside the adults. — Elaine Ayala, San Antonio Express-News, "Unmarked vans, security fences: family reunification proceeds behind curtain of secrecy," 12 July 2018 Occasionally, one of them would cradle it in one palm and bring a hand lens to it with the other, inspecting the carnivorous plant that was their bounty. — Marion Renault, New York Times, "This Carnivorous Plant Invaded New York. That May Be Its Only Hope.," 13 Aug. 2019 In a photograph no bigger than a playing card, a woman dressed in military costume cradles a sword, staring confidently beyond the frame. — Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, "The Actress Who Left the Stage to Become a Civil War Spy," 12 Aug. 2019 Beside him, his wife Surinder Kaur cradles a photo of Gurupreet and stares at the ground. — Sugam Pokharel, CNN, "This 6-year-old from India died in the Arizona desert. She loved dancing and dreamed of meeting her dad," 12 July 2019 In the adorable picture, Fishel wore a black dress and a denim jacket and cradled her growing baby bump. — Anya Leon, PEOPLE.com, "Boy Meets World's Danielle Fishel and Husband Jensen Welcome Son Adler Lawrence One Month Early," 1 July 2019 After acting, direction and production, Bollywood star Ajay Devgn is cradling a new venture in the film world: exhibition. — Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz India, "Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn is investing in small-town India’s cinema-going experience," 18 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cradle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for cradle
cradle
noun
English Language Learners Definition of cradle
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a bed for a baby that is usually designed to rock back and forth when pushed gently
formal
: the place where something begins
: something that is used to hold or support something else
cradle
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of cradle (Entry 2 of 2)
: to hold (something or someone) gently in your arms or hands
See the full definition for cradle in the English Language Learners Dictionary
cradle
noun