nuzzle

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English[edit]

WOTD – 6 June 2024

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

PIE word
*néh₂s

The verb is derived from Middle English noselen (“to bend down”);[1] further etymology uncertain, possibly:

Sense 2.3 (“to settle or lie comfortably and snugly”) is possibly influenced by nestle or nursle (frequentative of nurse).[8]

The noun is derived from the verb.[9]

Verb[edit]

nuzzle (third-person singular simple present nuzzles, present participle nuzzling, simple past and past participle nuzzled)

  1. (transitive)
    1. To push or thrust (the nose or snout, face or muzzle, or head, or an object) against or into something.
    2. To rub or touch (someone or something) with the nose, face, etc., or an object.
      The horse nuzzled its foal’s head gently to wake him up.
      She nuzzled her boyfriend in the cinema.
    3. Chiefly of an animal: to dig (something, especially food) out of the ground using the nose or snout; to root.
  2. (intransitive)
    1. Often followed by in or into: to press or push the nose or snout, mouth, face, etc., against or into someone or something; to touch someone or something with the nose or snout, etc.
      The bird nuzzled up to the wires of the cage.
      • 1593, [William Shakespeare], Venus and Adonis, London: […] Richard Field, […], →OCLC; 2nd edition, London: […] Richard Field, […], 1594, →OCLC, [verse 186], signature [Giv], recto, lines [1111–1116]:
        Tis true, tis true, thus vvas Adonis ſlaine, / He ran vpon the Boare vvith his ſharpe ſpeare, / VVho vvould not vvhet his teeth at him againe, / But by a kiſſe thought to perſvvade him there. / And nouſling in his flanke the louing ſvvine, / Sheath'd vnavvare his tuske in his ſoft groine.
      • 1603, Plutarch, “Of the Naturall Love or Kindnes of Parents to Their Children”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, →OCLC, page 220:
        [N]ature hath ſo placed a dug, that as it endeth one vvay in a ſpongeous kinde of fleſh full of ſmall pipes, and made of purpoſe to tranſmit the milke, and let it diſtill gently by many little pores and ſecret paſſages, ſo it yeeldeth a nipple in maner of a faucet, very fit and ready for the little babes mouth, about vvhich to nuzzle and nudgell vvith it[s] prety lips it taketh pleaſure, and loveth to be tugging and lugging of it; […]
      • 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author Conducted by a Houyhnhnm to His House. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume II, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part IV (A Voyage to the Houyhnhnms), page [177]:
        [T]he Lineaments of the Countenance are diſtorted by the Natives […] carrying them [infants] on their backs, nuzzling vvith their Face againſt the Mother's Shoulders.
      • 1738 (date written), Alexander Pope, “Epilogue to the Satires, in Two Dialogues. Dialogue II.”, in The Works of Alexander Pope Esq. […], volume IV, London: […] J[ohn] and P[aul] Knapton […], published 1751, →OCLC, page 256, lines 171–179:
        Let Courtly VVits to VVits afford ſupply, / As Hog to Hog in huts of VVeſtphaly; / If one, thro' Nature's Bounty or his Lord's, / Has vvhat the frugal, dirty ſoil affords, / From him the next receives it, thick or thin, / As pure a meſs almoſt as it came in; / The bleſſed benefit, not there confin'd, / Drops to the third, vvho nuzzles cloſe behind; / From tail to mouth, they feed and they carouſe: / The laſt full fairly gives it to the Houſe.
      • 1855, Charles Kingsley, “How They Took the Pearls at Margarita”, in Westward Ho!: Or, The Voyages and Adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight, […], volume II, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC, page 264:
        Help, all good fellows! See you not that I am a dead man? They [sharks] are nuzzling already at my toes!
      • 1889, Rudyard Kipling, “The Ballad of East and West”, in Barrack-Room Ballads and Other Verses, 3rd edition, London: Methuen & Co. […], published 1892, →OCLC, page 80:
        The red mare ran to the Colonel's son, and nuzzled against his breast; […]
      • 1910 November – 1911 August, Frances Hodgson Burnett, “‘It Has Come!’”, in The Secret Garden, New York, N.Y.: Frederick A[bbott] Stokes Company, published 1911, →OCLC, page 252:
        He walked over to Colin's sofa and put the new-born lamb quietly on his lap, and immediately the little creature turned to the warm velvet dressing-gown and began to nuzzle and nuzzle into its folds and butt its tight-curled head with soft impatience against his side.
      • 1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter X, in Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, published May 1962, →OCLC, page 104:
        Benjamin felt a nose nuzzling at his shoulder. He looked round. It was Clover.
    2. Chiefly of an animal: to push the nose or snout into the ground to dig for something, especially food; to root, to rootle.
    4. Followed by down: to settle or lie comfortably and snugly in a bed, nest, etc.; to nestle.
      Synonym: snuzzle
      • 1606, Barnabe Barnes, “The First Booke of Offices”, in Foure Bookes of Offices: Enabling Privat Persons for the Speciall Seruice of All Good Princes and Policies, London: […] [Adam Islip] at the charges of George Bishop, T[homas] Adams, and C[uthbert] Burbie, →OCLC, page 16:
        Intemperance therefore according to Cicero, is ſuch a kind of obedience vnto luſts, meerely repugnant to the right mind, and vnto all preſcription of reaſon, that the priuate deſires can neither be gouerned nor contained in any moderation; and thereof are tvvo parts: one vvhich exceſſiuely nuzzleth it ſelfe in delicacie, and another vvhich doth not.
      • 1702, Joseph Beaumont, “Canto XX. The Mortification.”, in Charles Beaumont, editor, Psyche, or Love’s Mystery, […], 2nd edition, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] University-Press, for Tho[mas] Bennet, […], →OCLC, stanza 210, page 309, column 1:
        [T]h' abſtruſeſt things / VVhich in the Mind's dark Temper nuzling lie, / By you expoſed are to every eye.
      • 1878 June, R[ichard] J[efferies], “The Man Himself—His House, and Tools”, in The Gamekeeper at Home: Sketches of Natural History and Rural Life, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC, page 2:
        [T]he ferret is a shivery creature, and likes nothing so well as to nozzle down in a coat-pocket with a little hay.
      • 1953 December, Hortense Calisher, “A Christmas Carillon: A Story”, in John Fischer, editor, Harper’s Magazine, volume 207, number 1243, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 38, column 1:
        Down at the corner, carols bugled steamily from a mission soup-kitchen. There's no escape from it, he thought. Turn on the radio, and its alleluia licks you with tremolo tongue. In every store window flameth housegown, nuzzleth slipper.
        A deliberate archaism.
    5. Chiefly followed by up or with: to press affectionately against someone or something; to nestle, to snuggle.
      • 1637, Tho[mas] Heywood, “Iupiter and Ganimede”, in Pleasant Dialogues and Dramma’s, Selected out of Lucian, Erasmus, Textor, Ovid, &c. […], London: […] R. O[ulton] for R. H[earne], and are to be sold by Thomas Slater […], →OCLC, page 99:
        [W]ill your reſt / ſeme ſvveeter, if I nuzzle on your breſt?
      • 1894 January–July, Hall Caine, chapter XIV, in The Manxman, London: William Heinemann, published 3 August 1894 (1 September 1894 printing), →OCLC, part IV (Man and Wife), page 255:
        Making some inarticulate whimper of communication, it [the baby] nuzzled up to her, its eyes closed, but its head working against her bosom with the instinct of suckling, though it had never sucked.
    6. (figurative) To come into close contact with someone or something.
      • 1951 October, R. S. McNaught, “Lines of Approach”, in The Railway Magazine, London: Tothill Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 706:
        It was nearly all downhill into Shrewsbury, with two intermediate stops, and a grand sequence of long curves around which Soult nuzzled her way with a quick side-to-side action.
    7. (obsolete, rare) To feel or probe with the fingers.
      • 1859, Oliver Wendell Holmes, The Professor at the Breakfast-table; with The Story of Iris, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, published 1860, →OCLC, page 248:
        The Professor […] [f]eels thorax and arm, and nuzzles round among muscles as those horrid old women poke their fingers into the salt-meat on the provision-stalls at the Quincy Market.
Conjugation[edit]
Conjugation of nuzzle
infinitive (to) nuzzle
present tense past tense
1st-person singular nuzzle nuzzled
2nd-person singular nuzzle, nuzzlest† nuzzled, nuzzledst†
3rd-person singular nuzzles, nuzzleth† nuzzled
plural nuzzle
subjunctive nuzzle nuzzled
imperative nuzzle —
participles nuzzling nuzzled

†Archaic or obsolete.

Alternative forms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
chiefly of an animal: to dig (something, especially food) out of the ground using the nose or snout — see root
chiefly of an animal: to push the nose or snout into the ground to dig for something, especially food — see root,‎ rootle
to settle or lie comfortably and snugly in a bed, nest, etc. — see nestle
to press affectionately against someone or something — see nestle,‎ snuggle

Noun[edit]

nuzzle (plural nuzzles)

  1. An act of nuzzling (all verb senses).
Translations[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Origin uncertain; appears to have a separate origin from nuzzle (etymology 1) due to the different meanings, but probably influenced by that word.[10]

Verb[edit]

nuzzle (third-person singular simple present nuzzles, present participle nuzzling, simple past and past participle nuzzled) (transitive, also reflexive, obsolete)

  1. Often followed by up or with: to nurture or train (oneself or someone) to act a certain way, have certain beliefs, etc.
    • 1528 October 12 (Gregorian calendar), William Tyndale, “The .IIIJ. Senses of yͤ Scripture”, in The Obediẽce of a Christen Man […], [Antwerp]: [Johannes Hoochstraten], →OCLC, folio cxlj, verso:
      Yf any man therfore vſe the ſcripture to drawe the [thee] from Chriſte and to noſell the [thee] in any thinge ſave in Chriſte, the ſame is a falſe prophete.
    • 1532, Thomas More, “The Confutacion of [William] Tyndale’s Aunswere […]. The Maner and Order of Our Eleccion.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published April 1557, →OCLC, page 587:
      [S]ome turne agayne by grace frõ their deadly hereſies into yͤ life of faith, & ſome be ſo ſore nowſeled in the falſe hereſies, & in their obſtinate frowardneſſe take ſuch a deueliſhe delight, yͭ finally thei die therin as did Baifield, Bainã, & Tewkeſbury.
    • 1533, Thomas Elyot, “The Fourthe Dialogue”, in Of that Knowlage, whiche Maketh a Wise Man. A Disputacion Platonike, London: […] Thomas Berthelet, published p. 1548? (indicated as 1534), →OCLC, signatures Lii, recto – Lii, verso:
      [T]he [thee] Ariſtippus, who beyng longe noſilled in worldly pleaſures, wilt not admitte, that any thynge, whiche is therunto contrarie, maie be expedient or neceſſarie vnto a man, that is vertuous, and lacketh ſuch vice, whiche requireth ſharpe admonicon: […]
    • 1549 February 10 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1548), Erasmus, “The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Gospell of Sainct John. Chapter XI.”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., The First Tome or Volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testamente, London: […] Edwarde Whitchurche, →OCLC, folio lxxix, recto:
      [Jesus] dyd grone agayne, and faced euill with hymſelfe, exemplyfying in hymſelfe verely the thyng whiche ought to be exhibite in vs if we will eftſones repente vs of the euilles and returne from the ſame, wherin we haue long tyme nuſſled our ſelues.
    • a. 1601 (date written), Richard Hooker, The Answere of Mr. Richard Hooker to a Supplication Preferred by Mr Walter Travers to the H.H. Lords of the Privie Counsell, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Ioseph Barnes, and are to be sold by John Barnes […], published 1612, →OCLC, paragraph 26, page 31:
      I take no ioy in ſtriving, I haue not been nozled or trained vp in it.
    • 1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Causes of Religious Melancholy. […]”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy, […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 3, section 4, member 1, subsection 2, page 734:
      Novv vvhen they are throughly poſſeſſed vvith blind zeale, and nuſled vvith ſuperſtition, he hath many other baites to inueagle & infatuate them farther yet, […]
    • 1641 May, John Milton, Of Reformation Touching Church-Discipline in England: And the Cavvses that hitherto have Hindred it; republished as Will Taliaferro Hale, editor, Of Reformation Touching Church-Discipline in England (Yale Studies in English; LIV), New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1916, →OCLC, 2nd book, page 63:
      Speedy and vehement were the Reformations of all the good Kings of Juda, though the people had been nuzzl'd in Idolatry never so long before; […]
    • 1655, Thomas Fuller, “Observations on the Kings Injunctions”, in The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, book, page 374:
      Thus our vviſe Reformers reflected diſcreetly on the infirmities of the people, long nouzled in ignorance and ſuperſtition, and incapable of a ſudden and perfect alteration.
    1. (falconry, hunting) To train (a dog or hawk) to attack prey.
  2. (generally) Chiefly followed by up: to bring up (someone); to foster, to rear; also, to educate (someone); to train.
    • 1600, T[itus] Livius [i.e., Livy], “[Book III]”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Romane Historie […], London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 123:
      This onely they beſought at their hands, and admoniſhed them of, by vvay of a proviſo, they they vvould take order for the ſafetie and ſecuritie of their perſons: and not by ſheading their blood, to fleſh the Commons, and to nuzzle them up, and acquaint them vvith exerciſing crueltie upon the Nobles and Senatours.
  3. (literary) To care for (someone) affectionately; to hold dear (someone); to cherish, to nurse; also, to provide (someone or something) a comfortable and snug place to settle or lie (compare etymology 1, verb sense 2.3).
    • 1573, George Gascoigne, “Three Sonets in Sequence, Written vppon this Occasion”, in A Hundreth Sundrie Flowres Bounde up in One Small Poesie. […], London: […] [Henry Bynneman and Henry Middleton for] Richarde Smith, →OCLC, page 337:
      For if Birhena could haue held him backe, / From Venus Court where he now nouſled was, / His luſtie limbes had neuer found the lacke / Of manly ſhape: […]
    • 1600 or 1601 (date written), I. M. [i.e., John Marston], “The Prologue”, in Antonios Reuenge. The Second Part. […], London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, and are to be soulde [by Matthew Lownes] […], published 1602, →OCLC, signature A2, recto:
      [F]rom his birth, being hugged in the armes, / And nuzzled tvvixt the breaſtes of happineſſe
    • 1891, Hall Caine, “Of Israel’s Home-coming”, in The Scapegoat: A Romance […], volume I, London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, page 226:
      Oh, fool of fools, why had he been dallying with dreams—billing and cooing with his own fancies—fondling and nuzzling and coddling them?

References[edit]

  1. ^ “nōselen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ “nōseling(e, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  3. ^ “nōse, n.(1)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  4. ^ “-ling(e, suf.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  5. ^ “-el-, suf.(3)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  6. ^ “nuzzle, v.1”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2024.
  7. ^ “nuzzle, v.”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
  8. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “nuzzle”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
  9. ^ “nuzzle, n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, July 2023.
  10. ^ “† nuzzle, n.2”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, September 2023.

Further reading[edit]

References[edit]

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