Word
Of
The
Day
canoodle
canoodle \kuh-NOO-dul\
verb
To canoodle with someone is to hug and kiss them in a romantic way.
// Two lovers were
canoodling on a park bench.
See the entry >
Examples:
“In one dining room, ruby-colored tufted banquettes sit under vintage-inspired chandeliers. In a private room, purple-colored walls give way to cocktail tables where couples might
canoodle, sipping martinis.” — Sarah Blaskovich,
The Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2025
Did you know?
The origins of
canoodle are uncertain, but may have their genesis in an English dialect noun of the same spelling meaning “donkey,” “fool,” or “foolish lover.” That
canoodle may itself be an alteration of the word
noodle, used to mean “a foolish person.” (The fool
noodle likely comes 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 lightheartedly for playful public displays of affection by couples who are head over heels in love.