cullare

to rock (a baby)

verb kool-LAH-reh Rare

Origin: From culla (cradle), from Latin cunula.

Also means

to cherish (a hope)

Usage Note

Cullare takes avere in compound tenses: ha cullato il bambino. Figuratively, cullarsi in un'illusione (to cradle oneself in an illusion) means to indulge a comforting but false belief. The reflexive cullarsi is common in this extended sense.

Examples

"La madre culla il bambino tra le braccia."

Natural Translation

The mother rocks the baby in her arms.

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