coddle
verb

- treat (someone) in an indulgent or overprotective way

- cook (an egg) in water below boiling point

(Oxford English Dictionaries)

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Coddle is a 17th century word that ultimately stems from the Latin "calidium," which referred to a warm drink of wine and water (from Latin "calere," warm, which is related to calorie), by way of the Anglo-French "caudel," a warm drink for someone who is ill. This sense eventually led to the verb "caudel," to boil gently, which then evolved to "coddle."

The figurative sense of treating someone or something tenderly was first recorded in Jane Austen's novel Emma: "Be satisfied with doctoring and coddling yourself and the children, and let me look as I choose".

Coddle is also found in the verb "mollycoddle," a synonym for coddle. The first part of the word stems from the common use of molly in the 18th century to refer to a gay man, as well as to a man who had been over-protected in childhood and as a result was considered a "momma's boy."

The noun coddle is also the name for an Irish dish which is often made with leftovers, and therefore without a specific recipe. However, it normally consists of layers of sliced pork sausages, bacon, potatoes and onions.

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SYNONYMS

baby, cotton, spoil, pamper, cater to, indulge

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Practice OWAD in a conversation today, say something like:

"CODDLED children can take longer to grow up and become independent."