coddle
UK[ˈkɒd(ə)l]US[ˈkɑːd(ə)l]
v
to treat someone in an overprotective or indulgent way.
v
to cook (an egg) in water just below boiling point.
Etymology
the verb 'coddle' likely originates from a dialectal variation of the verb 'caudle', which referred to the gentle heating of a medicinal drink. 'Caudle' itself derives from the latin 'caldum', meaning 'hot drink', a neuter form of 'caldus' (hot), from 'calere' (to be warm). the semantic progression moved from the careful, gentle heating of a liquid for a sick person to the broader sense of treating someone with excessive care and tenderness. the specific culinary sense of cooking an egg gently emerged by the late 18th century, extending the core idea of delicate, protective heating.
Analysis
this word is a simplex form. it is not productively formed from separable morphemes in modern english.
Examples
some parents tend to coddle their only child, shielding them from every minor disappointment.
for a soft, runny yolk, you should coddle the egg for about six minutes.
the manager was accused of coddling underperforming employees instead of holding them accountable.