/ ˈkɒdl; NAmE ˈkɑːdl/ verb [ vn ]
1.
(often disapproving ) to treat sb with too much care and attention
—compare mollycoddle
2.
to cook eggs in water slightly below boiling point
••
WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent. (in the sense boil (fruit) gently) : origin uncertain; sense 1 is probably a dialect variant of obsolete caudle administer invalids' gruel , based on Latin caldum hot drink, from calidus warm.