Definition

1. Verb:
   • To wrap (someone, especially an infant) tightly in cloth or garments, typically for warmth, security, or to restrict movement.
   • To envelop or bind snugly, as if with bandages.

Usage

• The primary use of "swaddle" is in the context of infant care. It describes the specific action of wrapping a baby snugly in a blanket or cloth, with the arms often held close to the body.
• It is a transitive verb and requires a direct object (e.g., swaddle ).
• The purpose is usually to soothe the baby, provide a sense of security, and promote sleep.

Examples

• Verb:
  • The nurse showed the new parents how to swaddle their newborn safely.
  • She gently swaddled the infant in a soft cotton blanket.
  • In many cultures, it is traditional to swaddle babies for the first few months.

Advanced Usage

• Figurative Use: Can be used metaphorically to describe being tightly wrapped or enveloped by something non-physical.
  • The valley was swaddled in a thick, morning fog.
  • He felt swaddled in the warmth of their friendship.

Variants and Related Words

• Swaddling clothes (noun phrase): The strips of cloth or garments used to swaddle an infant. This phrase is often used historically or in literary contexts.
  • The baby was laid in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes.
• Swaddling (noun/gerund): The action or practice of swaddling.
  • Proper swaddling can help calm a fussy baby.

Synonyms

• Wrap: To cover or enclose in material. (Less specific than "swaddle.")
• Swathe: To wrap in several layers of fabric or bandages.
• Bundle up: To dress warmly in many clothes. (More general, not specific to infants.)

Antonyms

• Unwrap: To remove a wrapping.
• Unswaddle: (Less common) To remove swaddling clothes from.
  • It was time to unswaddle the baby for a diaper change.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• While there are no common idioms with "swaddle," the phrase "swaddling clothes" is a fixed historical and literary term.

Verb

1. wrap in swaddling clothes
   • swaddled the infant