cuddler

English

Etymology

From cuddle +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌdl̩ɚ/, /ˈkʌdlɚ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌdl̩ə/, /ˈkʌdlə/
• Hyphenation: cud‧dler

Noun

cuddler (plural cuddlers)

1. Someone or something cuddly, who cuddles.
   • 1993, Barbara Delinsky, More Than Friends, page 60:

     Zoe was a cuddler. Annie swore she had been a cuddler in the womb, so continued...

2. (chiefly US) Someone who volunteers or works in a hospital by caring for babies (by showing human touch, giving cuddles etc.)
   • 1995, David Walter Adams, Eleanor J. Deveau, Beyond the Innocence of Childhood:

     At the Children's Hospital, an active cuddler's program was developed to provide stimulation for infants whose parents found it difficult to visit on a regualar basis. Cuddlers are recruited from within the hospital and the local community.

   • 2007 April, People, places and things, ABC News:

     A volunteer program at St. Vincent Children's Hospital is aimed at taking care of the littlest patients. Nancy Franciscy is one of 15 cuddlers at St. Vincent. The cuddlers are volunteers in the neonatal intensive care unit. The program began in the fall.

Anagrams

• cruddle, crudled, curdled