cradle
cradle — noun
1. A small bed designed for a baby to sleep in, built with side rails and often fit
A small bed designed for a baby to sleep in, built with side rails and often fitted with rockers so it can be gently moved back and forth.
Mizuki placed the sleeping baby gently into the cradle and began to hum a soft tune.
cradle + placement preposition: into the cradle
The old oak cradle had rocked three generations of babies in the family.
generational possession: family cradle
A thin blanket covered the infant in the cradle near the sunlit window.
Jude built a simple wooden cradle for his sister's first baby.
DIY / gift context
The handmade cradle rocked softly as the grandmother sang a lullaby.
rock + cradle: typical motion
- rock a cradle
- cradle song / lullaby
- wooden cradle
- place the baby in a cradle
Usage Note
Often associated with a gentle rocking motion to soothe a baby to sleep.
Common Mistakes
2. A specially shaped holder that holds an electronic device upright while its batt
A specially shaped holder that holds an electronic device upright while its battery receives power through a connected charging cable or contacts.
Tuan dropped his phone into the charging cradle on the desk and watched the battery icon turn green.
charging cradle for phone
The camera comes with a cradle that also transfers photos to a computer while charging.
cradle + dual function: charge and transfer
Élise bought a wireless charging cradle for her earbuds so she would never lose the charging cable again.
Yan placed the tablet in the cradle on the nightstand before sleeping.
cradle + location preposition: in the cradle on [surface]
The office desk had a charging cradle for each employee's work phone.
- charging cradle
- phone cradle
- wireless cradle
- place the phone in the cradle
- charging dock
Often interchangeable, though 'dock' may imply a more elaborate setup with extra ports.
- charging station
Usually refers to a larger unit that can charge multiple devices at once.
- base
A broader term; a base may charge a device or simply hold it steady.
Usage Note
Common in product descriptions and technology contexts. Often preceded by a modifier such as 'charging cradle', 'phone cradle', or 'wireless cradle'.
3. A suspended platform that hangs from ropes or cables alongside a tall building,
A suspended platform that hangs from ropes or cables alongside a tall building, bridge, or ship, giving workers access to high exterior areas that are hard to reach.
The window cleaners stood on a narrow cradle suspended thirty floors above the street.
suspended cradle for window cleaning
Workers lowered the painting cradle carefully down the side of the bridge to reach the rusted steel beams.
Faisal checked the safety ropes twice before stepping onto the cradle that hung beside the skyscraper.
safety context: checking ropes before stepping onto the cradle
The maintenance crew used an electric winch to raise the cradle to the roof level.
Quinn watched the workers on the cradle scrub the stained glass windows of the cathedral.
cradle + specific task: scrubbing windows
- suspended cradle
- window-cleaning cradle
- lower the cradle
- painting cradle
- scaffold
A temporary structure built on the ground or from the building itself, rather than suspended.
- platform
Broader term; a platform can be fixed or mobile, on the ground or suspended.
- bosun's chair
A single-person seat suspended by rope, used for one worker rather than a team.
Usage Note
Technical term used in construction, maintenance, and maritime industries. Not common in everyday conversation.
4. The location, culture, or historical setting where an important idea, movement,
The location, culture, or historical setting where an important idea, movement, or civilization first started and developed.
Ancient Greece is widely regarded as the cradle of Western philosophy and democratic government.
cradle of [civilisation / field]: metaphorical origin
The Mekong Delta is considered the cradle of a unique river-based culture in Southeast Asia.
This small town in Tuscany was the cradle of the Renaissance art movement that changed Europe forever.
cradle of + art movement
The Indus Valley is considered one of the oldest cradles of urban civilisation in the world.
cradle of civilization: fixed expression
Evelyn wrote her thesis on why Silicon Valley became the cradle of modern computing.
- cradle of civilization
- cradle of democracy
- cradle of an idea
- birthplace
More literal and common; used for individuals or things that started somewhere.
- wellspring
More poetic; suggests a continuous source rather than a single starting point.
Grammar Patterns
cradle of [something]
Usage Note
Typically used with 'of' followed by an abstract noun (civilisation, democracy, culture, movement). Frequently found in historical or cultural writing.
Common Mistakes
5. The earliest stage of human life, covering the period from birth through very ea
The earliest stage of human life, covering the period from birth through very early childhood.
Esme had been drawn to the piano from the cradle, and by age four she could play simple melodies.
from the cradle: since birth/early infancy
The twins had shared a room since the cradle and could not sleep apart.
Stories told to a child from the cradle can shape their imagination for a lifetime.
Adisa had been fascinated by maps from the cradle, so his parents bought him a globe.
from the cradle: since early childhood
Her love of languages was nurtured from the cradle by her multilingual family.
- from the cradle
- since the cradle
- in the cradle
Grammar Patterns
from the cradle
Usage Note
Usually appears in the fixed phrases 'from the cradle' or 'in the cradle', rather than as a standalone noun referring to a specific baby's infancy.
Common Mistakes
Throughout the entire span of a person's life, from birth until death.
The new national health plan covers every citizen from the cradle to the grave.
In that small village, the church was part of life from the cradle to the grave — baptisms, weddings, and funerals all happened there.
rob the cradle
idiomTo have a romantic or sexual relationship with someone who is much younger than oneself, especially when the age gap is considered socially questionable.
The neighbours whispered that the forty-year-old lawyer was robbing the cradle by dating a twenty-year-old student.
When Tariro introduced his new girlfriend at the family dinner, his older sister teased him about robbing the cradle.
cradle — verb
1. To hold an object or a living thing close to your body with gentle, protective s
To hold an object or a living thing close to your body with gentle, protective support, usually by wrapping your arms or hands around it.
Heloísa cradled the injured bird in her palms and carried it carefully to the vet.
cradle + object in [body part]
The old man cradled his coffee cup with both hands, warming his fingers on the ceramic surface.
Christopher cradled his newborn daughter in his arms and whispered a promise to protect her.
cradle + person in arms: protective embrace
Manuela cradled the fragile ceramic bowl against her chest as she walked through the crowded kitchen.
- cradle in one's arms
- cradle gently
- cradle a cup / phone / baby
Grammar Patterns
cradle + object + in/with [body part]
Usage Note
Describes a careful, protective manner of holding. The image is of a baby in a cradle — secure and gently supported. Object is usually something fragile, precious, or in need of care.
Common Mistakes
2. To care for and foster the growth of a person, skill, organisation, or idea duri
To care for and foster the growth of a person, skill, organisation, or idea during its earliest and most vulnerable stage.
The small theatre company cradled her talent as a playwright, producing her first three works.
cradle + abstract object: talent
Marta's grandmother had cradled her love of cooking by letting her stir the pots from the age of five.
The university's research fund was designed to cradle new ideas until they were strong enough to attract outside investors.
cradle + abstract object: new ideas
Cyrus's parents cradled his passion for music by taking him to concerts every month.
The community centre cradled the young artist's talent by offering free studio space.
cradle + abstract object: talent
- cradle a talent
- cradle an idea
- cradle a movement
- neglect
To fail to give proper care or attention, stunting development.
Grammar Patterns
cradle + object (talent, idea, movement)
Usage Note
Less common than the physical 'hold gently' sense. Typically used in formal or literary writing about the early development of talents, movements, or institutions.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- cradledadjectiveB2
- cradlingnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Cradle, cot, crib, and bassinet all refer to beds for very young children, but they differ in size, mobility, and cultural use. A cradle is a small bed mounted on rockers or pivots, designed to be gently moved back and forth to soothe a baby — the word itself comes from this rocking image. A bassinet is a smaller, lightweight basket-like bed for newborns, often portable and used for the first few months. A cot (common in British English) or crib (common in American English) is a larger stationary bed with high side rails, used from infancy until the child is old enough for a regular bed. In practice, a parent might say: 'We put the newborn in a bassinet next to our bed at night, then moved her to the cradle in the living room for daytime naps, and finally into the cot when she grew too big for both.'
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'cradle' comes from Old English 'cradol', meaning a small bed for an infant. It is related to Old High German 'kratto' (basket) and shares an ancient root with words for weaving and wickerwork, since early cradles were often made from woven materials. The metaphorical meaning — a place where something originates — appeared by the 1500s, and the verb sense of holding something gently developed from the image of rocking a baby in a cradle.