To treat someone with excessive care and tenderness, or to cook something gently in hot water just below boiling.
From Middle English, possibly related to 'caudle,' a warm drink for the sick. The cooking sense developed from the gentle heat used in the beverage, while the care sense grew from the idea of treating someone as delicate as an invalid requiring a soothing drink.
Coddle eggs are a fancy breakfast dish where the egg cooks so gently that it stays creamy inside—but the word 'coddle' also means to baby someone, so you could coddle a person the same way you coddle an egg. The British have perfected the art of both!
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