To handle or touch lovingly, affectionately, or tenderly. Can also refer to inappropriate touching in a sexual context.
Derived from the obsolete word 'fond' meaning 'to be foolishly tender' (16th century). Originally 'fond' meant 'foolish' in Middle English, but evolved to mean 'affectionate' by the 1600s, giving rise to 'fondle' as a back-formation.
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