v.
Pronunciation: ' swä-d ə l
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form: swad · dled ; swad · dling \ ' swäd-li ŋ , ' swä-d ə l-i ŋ \
Etymology: Middle English swadelen, swathelen, probably alteration of swedelen, swethelen, from swethel swaddling band, from Old English; akin to Old English swathian to swathe
Date: 14th century
1 a : to wrap (an infant) with swaddling clothes b : ENVELOP , SWATHE <legs swaddled in bandages>
2 : RESTRAIN , RESTRICT <marriage ⋯ swaddled him in a domesticity he came to loathe ― Nina Auerbach>