Word of the Day

: February 14, 2016

canoodle

verb kuh-NOO-dul

What It Means

: to engage in amorous embracing, caressing, and kissing

canoodle in Context

Chaperones watched for couples attempting to sneak under the gymnasium's bleachers to canoodle.

"The sexiest new lounge in Des Moines features a must-drink cocktail list that blends in well with the atmosphere of dim lights and cute little seating areas where couples can canoodle." — Susan Stapleton, The Des Moines Register, 16 Dec. 2015

Did You Know?

The origins of canoodle are obscure. Our best guess is that it may come from an English dialect noun of the same spelling meaning "donkey," "fool," or "foolish lover," which itself may be an alteration of the word noodle, meaning "a foolish person." That noodle, in turn, may come from noddle, a word for the head. The guess seems reasonable given that, since its appearance in the language around the mid-19th century, canoodle has been most often used jocularly for playful public displays of affection by couples who are head over heels in love.