croodle

croodle means to cower or cuddle together, as from fear or cold; to lie close and snug together, as pigs in straw. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

Why “croodle” is a great word

To huddle or cuddle together closely, as for warmth, comfort, or from fear, a frequentative form of Scots 'crood' (to crowd, press close), from Middle English 'crouden' (to press, push, crowd), first attested in the late 1700s or early 1800s, notably in the writing of Robert Tannahill. Unlike 'cuddle,' which implies a deliberate, affectionate embrace, or 'huddle,' which suggests a strategic conference, to croodle is to seek elemental shelter in shared bodily heat. It is the instinctive press of newborn puppies in their straw-lined box, the silent drawing together of sheep against a sudden sleet, and the murmured convergence of children in a darkened room—a quiet testament to the fact that warmth, both physical and spiritual, is first and always a communal property.

Etymology

Compare cruddle, crudle.

verb

To cower or cuddle together, as from fear or cold; to lie close and snug together, as pigs in straw.“Far ben thy dark green plantin's shade The cushat croodles am'rously”
To fawn or coax.
To make a cooing sound.“Too dark to see well, but judge from movements of old bird's head and croodling noise.”

noun

A bird's coo, especially that of a dove.“[A]nd no sound falls on my ears, except the distant roar of a passing train, the song of linnets, and croodle of turtle-dove and cushat.”