Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To rub or push against gently with or as if with the nose or snout: stroked and nuzzled the kitten.
- v. To root or move with the snout.
- v. To make rubbing or pressing motions with or as if with the nose or snout.
- v. To nestle together.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To thrust the nose in or into; root up with the nose.
- To touch or rub with the nose; press or rub the nose against.
- To put a ring into the nose of (a hog).
- To fondle closely, as a child.
- To nurse; foster; rear.
- To nose; burrow with the nose; rub noses.
- To touch or feel something with the nose.
- To go with the nose toward the ground.
- To nestle.
- To loiter; idle.
Wiktionary
- v. of animals, etc To touch someone or something with the nose.
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. obsolete To noursle or nurse; to foster; to bring up.
- v. To nestle; to house, as in a nest.
- v. To work with the nose, like a swine in the mud.
- v. To go with head poised like a swine, with nose down.
- v. To hide the head, as a child in the mother's bosom; to nestle.
- v. Prov. Eng. To loiter; to idle.
WordNet 3.0
- v. rub noses
- v. dig out with the snout
- v. move or arrange oneself in a comfortable and cozy position
Etymologies
- Early 15th century Middle English noselyng, as nose + -lyng ("(frequentive)") (modern English nose + -le (“(frequentive)”)). Modern affectionate, intimate sense 1590s, possibly influenced by nestle or nursle (frequentive of nurse). (Wiktionary)
- Middle English noselen, to bend down, perhaps back-formation from noselyng, on the face, prostrate, from nose, nose; see nose. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Always keep your head completely still and your eyes looking over your buddy's shoulder - try not to cock your head to one side as you would with a regular hug as this risks degenerating in to a "nuzzle" or worse, a "cuddle".”
“Tristan looked away, then pulled me close to nuzzle my ear.”
“It makes beautiful women go "ooooh" when they're hugging you, and lean in and nuzzle your neck and make happy sounds.”
“It was, the Chicago urban architect wrote, a "place that could kind of nuzzle up to its little friends, so that when they came out to shop, it would be as if they had never left home.”
The Huffington Post: J. Michael Welton: Stanley Tigerman: The Retrospective
“And while my days of dating shorter men are behind me, I was a more than a little excited when I recently met Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno and discovered he is the perfect height to nuzzle into my neck.”
The Huffington Post: Leslie Goldman: Short, Dark and Handsome?
“The small one broke away and romped in a small circle; the larger one followed suit, in the opposite direction; and then they closed off the dance with a final nuzzle.”
“Dot's skirt, you nuzzle her flaps in the pitch black, grope for the slot where all test scores go, but envelopes come back, dark.”
“Baby elephant seals nuzzle muzzle-to-muzzle -- before they grow up and their proboscises become prohibitive.”
““Well, pardon me for not knowing about the thermal-only panty rule,” I said, smirking as he dipped his head to nuzzle one of the silky bra cups.”
“He got back in bed, and as he began to relax, she woke up and stretched herself, emitting a girlish squeal in the process, before turning on her side to nuzzle him.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘nuzzle’.
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Warmth
A list of words that bring warm, fuzzy feelings.
bask, snuggle, nestle, nuzzle, duvet, blanket, hot chocolate, tea, cozy, smile, fireplace, eggnog
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CCle
all those wonderful Britsy words that end with a double consonant followed by 'le'
doddle, bobble, dibble, whiffle, waffle, diddle, piddle, jiggle, straggle, boggle, fiddle, skeedaddle and 125 more...
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Gentle Actions
embrace, nuzzle, fondle, caress, nestle, cherish, foster, cuddle, snuggle, brush, comfort, nuture and 1 more...
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Hugonyms
Anything hugging related :)
squeeze, embrace, cuddle, nestle, cling, snuggle, arms, exchange, bear hug, thoughtful, affectionate, waist and 16 more...
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George Owell's works
pseudonym, Trotsky, Troskyist, apparatchik, purge, ostensible, gullibility, gullible, succumb, enamored, dystopia, nuzzle and 5 more...
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touch
palp, tactile, brush, abut, bepaint, tinct, soupcon, graze, stroke, allude, nudge, epicritic and 67 more...
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What's That Pokémon Name?
Words used to create the names of Pokémon, which are usually portmanteaux.
bulb, dinosaur, ivy, venus, char, salamander, squirt, turtle, blast, tortoise, water, caterpillar and 525 more...
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kat's words
ecumenical, cacophony, clatter, marimba, bamboo, saffron, slice, mercurial, pomegranate, cranky, slipshod, scritch and 511 more...
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imogen's Words
coagitate, cloche, harum-scarum, foxglove, cryptolect, cant, roux, angora, duff, ulysse, schadenfreude, pepperpot and 315 more...
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eesome
Includes any intangible conceivable independently of Hom. Sap.
depthless, overspire, unsteady, thitherward, rile, munchable, covet, pastinaceous, mirtle, slonk, tink, inerrarable and 345 more...
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sillygoose's Words
nefarious, waffle, dilettante, love, obstreperous, suggestible, fodder, plucky, trajectory, eclectic, juggernaut, demure and 115 more...
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Words that delight me
tepid, perfunctory, trope, benign, inordinate, bewildering, ersatz, boon, delectable, apt, scuttlebutt, sequester and 398 more...
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sionnach's Words
contumely, fomite, holmgang, poltroon, eleemosynary, obsidian, nugatory, grindcore, felch, recrudescent, pyx, parenteral and 3271 more...
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stpeter's Words
abase, abasement, abashed, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abhorrent, abide, abject, ablation, abnegation and 3536 more...
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Some Words I Love to Use
arcology, strumpet, crux, confected, pedant, bluestocking, cogitation, incensed, lovecraftian, cygnet, dactyl, adytum and 539 more...
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Tamara's Words
ennui, je ne sais quoi, libertine, dilettante, raconteur, awry, nerdy, ridiculousness, cinnamon, snarky, somnambulist, truthiness and 101 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for nuzzle.

lea I have never nuzzled with anyone. I swear. Feb 28, 2009
yarb What is it with ungulates and nuzzling? Nov 17, 2007
chained_bear Llama is one of the greatest words ever in the history of civilization on any planet. Ever. Nov 16, 2007
trivet Llamas nuzzle. Nov 16, 2007
yarb For me a nuzzle is specifically an affectionate rubbing with the lips, nose and surrounding area. Camels are well-equipped physically for nuzzling, but temperamentally unsuited. Nov 16, 2007
andyfowler and all the while shall my heart be
With the bulge and nuzzle of the sea
--e.e. cummings Oct 9, 2007