Canoodle

//kəˈnuːdl̩// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A caress, a cuddle, a hug. slang

    "She got on with the crewmen, all of whom liked her and at least one of whom, Pinky Montmorency, took more than a casual interest in her. Probably a bit of a canoodle now and then in the room behind the office."

  2. 2
    A donkey. slang
  3. 3
    A foolish lover; also (generally) a fool. slang
Verb
  1. 1
    To caress, fondle, or pet (someone); also, to have sexual intercourse with (someone); to make love with. slang, transitive

    "He’s got a big smile on his face—who’s he been canoodling recently?"

  2. 2
    fondle or pet affectionately wordnet
  3. 3
    To cajole or persuade (someone). figuratively, slang, transitive

    "“There,” she cried triumphantly, when her labours were finished, “it [the drawing-room] looks different now, really quite effective and ‘canoodling’.”"

  4. 4
    Of a person: to caress, fondle, or pet another person; of two people: to caress, fondle, or pet each other; also, to have sexual intercourse; to make love. intransitive, slang

    "Young Robin and my daughter. / ‘Canoodling’ too. This must lead to manslaughter."

Etymology

Etymology 1

The origin of the verb is uncertain; the following possibilities have been suggested: * From a blend of ca(ress) + noodle (“to engage in frivolous behavior; to fool around or waste time; to mess around, to play”). * From German knuddeln (“to cuddle; (originally) to embrace tightly”); or related to Low German knuddle (“a clump, a knot”), a diminutive of knude, related to Old High German knodo, knoto (“a knot”) (modern German Knoten (“knot”)); ultimate etymology unknown. Compare also Norwegian Bokmål knulle (“to fuck”), Swedish knulla (“to fuck”), both from Proto-Germanic *knuzlijaną (“to beat; to mash”) (and also compare the semantics of the Scandinavian cognates of fuck). The noun is probably derived from the verb.

Etymology 2

The origin of the verb is uncertain; the following possibilities have been suggested: * From a blend of ca(ress) + noodle (“to engage in frivolous behavior; to fool around or waste time; to mess around, to play”). * From German knuddeln (“to cuddle; (originally) to embrace tightly”); or related to Low German knuddle (“a clump, a knot”), a diminutive of knude, related to Old High German knodo, knoto (“a knot”) (modern German Knoten (“knot”)); ultimate etymology unknown. Compare also Norwegian Bokmål knulle (“to fuck”), Swedish knulla (“to fuck”), both from Proto-Germanic *knuzlijaną (“to beat; to mash”) (and also compare the semantics of the Scandinavian cognates of fuck). The noun is probably derived from the verb.

Etymology 3

Origin unknown.

Next best steps

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: canoodle