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# cradle

«cradle» in Mova's school dictionary: **a small bed for a baby, often one that can rock** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (a cradle, cradles); verb (cradle, cradles, cradled, cradling)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A cradle is a small bed for a baby, often one that can rock. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cradle/#m1)

2) The place where something began: the cradle of civilisation. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cradle/#m2)

3) To cradle something is to hold it gently in your arms. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cradle/#m3)

4) A frame that holds something, like a phone cradle. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cradle/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

Used in lullabies («Rock-a-bye baby… down will come baby, cradle and all»), history (cradle of civilisation), and stories and care: «from the cradle to the grave».

### examples

- The baby slept in a wooden cradle. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cradle/#x1)
- She cradled the kitten in her arms. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cradle/#x2)
- Mesopotamia is called the cradle of civilisation. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cradle/#x3)
- Rock the cradle gently. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cradle/#x4)
- He cradled his sore arm. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cradle/#x5)
- Put the phone back in its cradle. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cradle/#x6)
- “Wendy,” remonstrated Michael, “I’m too big for a cradle.” [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cradle/#x7)

### note

Countable. «From the cradle to the grave» = all your life. Similar: crib, cot (UK).

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «cradle» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cradle/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.