Third person singular present tense of 'fondle,' meaning to touch or caress something in an affectionate or playful way.
From 'fondle,' which likely comes from 'fond' (the verb) plus a diminutive suffix '-le'. This '-le' suffix was productive in Middle English and gave us words like 'sparkle' and 'tangle.'
The '-le' ending in 'fondle' is actually a diminutive marker that used to be much more common in English—it made verbs sound gentle or iterative, which is perfect for an action like fondling that involves repeated, soft movements.
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