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Added 9 October 2026

dandle

/ˈdændəl/ verb

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about dandle at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Move (a baby) up and down in one's arms or on one's knees.
Pet.
the grandfather dandled the small child

Origin

Compare Scots dandill (“to dander; go about idly; move uncertainly; trifle”), English dialectal dander (“to wander about; talk incoherently; rave”), Middle Dutch dantinnen (“to trifle”) (from French dandiner (“to swing; waddle”)), German dändeln, tändeln (“to trifle, dandle”), Middle Dutch and Provincial German danten (“to do foolish things; trifle”), German Tand (“trifle, prattle”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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