Gently holding someone or something in a protective way, as if rocking them in a cradle.
From the verb 'cradle,' derived from Old English 'cradol,' a rocking bed for babies. The -ing form creates a present participle suggesting continuous, gentle movement and care.
Cradling appears in neuroscience too—your brain literally 'cradles' cerebrospinal fluid that protects it, so the same word describes both a mother's arms and the brain's self-protection system.
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