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third-person singular simple present croodles, present participle croodling, simple past and past participle croodled
(UK, dialect, obsolete) To cower or cuddle together, as from fear or cold; to lie close and snug together, as pigs in straw. quotations
Far ben thy dark green plantin's shade The cushat croodles am'rously
a. 1810, Robert Tannahill, The Wood O' Craigie Lea
Oh! that I had wings-not as a dove , to fly home to its nest and croodle there
1858 January, Charles Kingsley, “My Winter-Garden”, in Frasers Magazine
Mrs. Dootson bridged the other half, and, croodling down to Meg's height, she somewhat forced the friendship
1898, William Edwards Tirebuck, Meg of the Scarlet Fool
(UK, dialect, obsolete) To fawn or coax.
(originally Scotland, dialect) To make a cooing sound. quotations examples
Too dark to see well, but judge from movements of old bird's head and croodling noise.
1899, Zoologist
Do pigeons croodle, or only doves?
2017, Thomas Rohrer, Worms Drowning in the Rain
plural croodles
Such a bird vocalisation, especially that given by doves. quotations examples
[A]nd no sound falls on my ears, except the distant roar of a passing train, the song of linnets, and croodle of turtle-dove and cushat.
1888, Gordon Stables, In Touch with Nature: Tales and Sketches from the Life, page 46
[A] third-storey apartment under the eaves loud with the croodles and canoodling of amorous pigeons.
1997, Aidan Higgins, Flotsam and Jetsam, page 265