nuzzle
verb /ˈnʌzl/
/ˈnʌzl/
[transitive, intransitive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they nuzzle | /ˈnʌzl/ /ˈnʌzl/ |
| he / she / it nuzzles | /ˈnʌzlz/ /ˈnʌzlz/ |
| past simple nuzzled | /ˈnʌzld/ /ˈnʌzld/ |
| past participle nuzzled | /ˈnʌzld/ /ˈnʌzld/ |
| -ing form nuzzling | /ˈnʌzlɪŋ/ /ˈnʌzlɪŋ/ |
- to touch or rub somebody/something with the nose or face, especially to show love
- nuzzle somebody/something She nuzzled his ear.
- + adv./prep. The child nuzzled up against his mother.
Oxford Collocations DictionaryNuzzle is used with these nouns as the object:- ear
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘grovel’): frequentative from nose, reinforced by Dutch neuzelen ‘poke with the nose’.