noun Date: 1754 a game in which a string looped in a pattern like a cradle on the fingers of one person's hands is transferred to the hands of another so as to form a different figure, something that is intricate, complicated, or elaborate
CAT'S CRADLE
Meaning of CAT'S CRADLE in English
Merriam Webster. Explanatory English dictionary Merriam Webster. Толковый словарь английского языка Мерриам-Уэбстер. 2012