huddle

American  

[huhd-l] / ˈhʌd l /

verb (used without object)

huddled, huddling

1. to gather or crowd together in a close mass.

2. to crouch, curl up, or draw oneself together.

3. Football. to get together in a huddle.

4. to confer or consult; meet to discuss, exchange ideas, or make a decision.

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verb (used with object)

huddled, huddling

1. to heap or crowd together closely.

2. to draw (oneself ) closely together, as in crouching; nestle (often followed byup ).

3. Chiefly British. to do hastily and carelessly (often followed by up, over, ortogether ).

4. to put on (clothes) with careless haste (often followed byon ).

noun

1. a closely gathered group, mass, or heap; bunch.

2. Football. a gathering of the offensive team in a close circle or line behind the line of scrimmage for instructions, signals, etc., from the team captain or quarterback, usually held before each offensive play.

3. a conference, or consultation, especially a private meeting to discuss serious matters.

   The labor representatives have been in a huddle for two hours.

4. confusion or disorder.

huddle British  

/ ˈhʌdəl /

noun

1. a heaped or crowded mass of people or things

2. informal a private or impromptu conference (esp in the phrase go into a huddle )

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verb

1. to crowd or cause to crowd or nestle closely together

2. (often foll by up) to draw or hunch (oneself), as through cold

3. informal (intr) to meet and confer privately

4. (tr) to do (something) in a careless way

5. rare (tr) to put on (clothes) hurriedly

huddle Idioms  

1. see go into a huddle.

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Other Word Forms

• huddler noun
• huddlingly adverb
• unhuddle verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of huddle

1570–80; hud- (weak grade of root found in hide ¹ ) + -le; replacing Middle English hoder, equivalent to hod- (variant hud- ) + -er -er ⁶

Example Sentences

We huddle around my phone as I show him images of Bad Bunny in the music video “NUEVAYoL” and Don Johnson in a pastel linen suit from an episode of “Miami Vice.”

From Los Angeles Times

Fields materialize, “sloping down, lush and firm and broad to the grey huddle” of a neighboring farm.

From The Wall Street Journal

My father came out of the shed huddled up in his parka and turned away from the sea, blinking in the wan light, smiling a wan smile.

From Literature

Arsenal's huddle at the start of the second half was greeted with more derision and jeers.

From BBC

As they walk up the drive, I huddle deeper into the cover of the curtain, and feel a weird kind of relief that Karly isn’t here to witness this.

From Literature

Related Words

• cluster
• confer
• consult
• converge
• crouch
• cuddle
• curl up
• gather
• snuggle