Cradle Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary (original) (raw)

Britannica Dictionary definition of CRADLE

[count]

1

:

a bed for a baby that is usually designed to rock back and forth when pushed gently

• She rocked the cradle.

— sometimes used figuratively

• He learned to play chess when he was barely out of the cradle. [=when he was very young]

2

formal

:

the place where something begins

— usually singular

— usually + of

• the cradle of civilization/liberty

3

:

something that is used to hold or support something else

• She placed the phone back on its cradle.
• A number of ships were resting in their cradles in the shipyard.

4

British

:

a platform designed to move up and down the sides of a building so that workers can paint, clean, etc.

from (the) cradle to (the) grave

:

from the beginning until the end of life

• He led a life of hardship from the cradle to the grave.
• The book describes her life from cradle to grave.

rob the cradle

US, informal

:

to date or marry someone who is much younger than you

• His friends accused him of robbing the cradle when they saw how young his girlfriend was.

Britannica Dictionary definition of CRADLE

[+ object]

:

to hold (something or someone) gently in your arms or hands

• He cradled her face in his hands.
• She was cradling the injured man's head in her arms.
• cradle a baby