To move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play, as an infant. Ye shall be dandled . . . upon her knees. Is.
To treat with fondness, as if a child; to fondle; to toy with; to pet. They have put me in a silk gown and gaudy fool's cap; I as ashamed to be dandled thus. Addison. The book, thus dandled into popularity by bishops and good ladies, contained many pieces of nursery eloquence. Jeffrey.
To play with; to put off or delay by trifles; to wheedle. [Obs.] Captains do so dandle their doings, and dally in the service, as it they would not have the enemy subdued. Spenser.
98,828 entries. Headwords are matched first, then definition text.