Contextualizebeta

huddle

noun
/ˈhʌdəl/

Etymology

From Middle English *hudelen, alteration (due to hudels, hidels (“hiding place”), see hiddle) of *huderen, hoderen (“to cover; press together; huddle”), a frequentative form of Middle English huden, hiden (“to hide”), equivalent to hide + -le and/or hide + -er. Compare Low German huderken (“to brood; coddle; nurse; lull children to sleep”).

  1. derived from huden
  2. inherited from *hudelen✻

Definitions

  1. A dense and disorderly crowd.

  2. A small group of individuals in very close proximity to one another.

    • It’s about as riveting as listening to a huddle of ents discuss the finer points of deciduous shedding.

  3. A hesitation during play to think about one's next move.

  4. ›+ 9 more definitions

    1. To crowd together.

      • The sheep huddled together seeking warmth.
      • During all these operations the apes who had entered sat huddled near the door watching their chief, while those outside strained and crowded to catch a glimpse of what transpired within.

    2. To curl one's legs up to the chest and keep one's arms close to the torso

      To curl one's legs up to the chest and keep one's arms close to the torso; to crouch; to assume a position similar to that of an embryo in the womb.

      • Just south of Wamphray station they overtook the runaway. The dim figure of Mitchell could be seen sitting huddled behind the stormboard. They shouted and whistled. He paid no attention.

    3. To get together and discuss a topic.

    4. To form a huddle.

    5. To crowd (things) together

      To crowd (things) together; to mingle confusedly; to assemble without order or system.

      • Our adversary, huddling several suppositions together,[…]makes a medley and confusion.

    6. To do, make, or put, in haste or roughly

      To do, make, or put, in haste or roughly; hence, to do imperfectly; usually with a following preposition or adverb (huddle on, huddle up, huddle together).

      • Huddle up a peace.
      • Let him forecast his work with timely care, / Which else is huddled when the skies are fair.
      • Now, in all haste, they huddle on / Their hoods, their cloaks, and get them gone.

    7. To hesitate during play while thinking about one's next move.

    8. Huddled, confused, congested.

      • Gowan snored, each respiration choking to a huddle fall as though he would never breathe again.

    9. A surname originating as a patronymic.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for huddle. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA