huddle

Etymology

From Middle English *hudelen, alteration (due to hudels, hidels (“hiding place”), see hiddle) of *huderen, hoderen (“to cover; press together; huddle”), a frequentative form of Middle English huden, hiden (“to hide”), equivalent to hide + -le and/or hide + -er. Compare Low German huderken (“to brood; coddle; nurse; lull children to sleep”).

noun

1. A dense and disorderly crowd.
   It’s about as riveting as listening to a huddle of ents discuss the finer points of deciduous shedding. 25 May 23, Nic Reuben, “The Lord of the Rings: Gollum review”, in The Guardian
2. (American football) A brief meeting of all the players from one team that are on the field with the purpose of planning the following play.
3. (bridge) A hesitation during play to think about one's next move.

verb

1. (intransitive) To crowd together.
   The sheep huddled together seeking warmth.
2. (intransitive) To curl one's legs up to the chest and keep one's arms close to the torso; to crouch; to assume a position similar to that of an embryo in the womb.
   Just south of Wamphray station they overtook the runaway. The dim figure of Mitchell could be seen sitting huddled behind the stormboard. They shouted and whistled. He paid no attention. 1950 January, David L. Smith, “A Runaway at Beattock”, in Railway Magazine, page 54
3. To get together and discuss a topic.
   George Hirsch, chairman of the board of Road Runners, said officials huddled all day Friday, hoping to devise an alternate race. They considered replacing the marathon with a race that would comprise the final 10 miles of marathon, starting at the base of the Queensboro 59th Street Bridge on the Manhattan side. But that was not deemed plausible, Mr. Hirsch said. November 2 2012, Ken Belson, New York Times, retrieved 2012-11-02
4. (intransitive, American football) To form a huddle.
5. (transitive) To crowd (things) together; to mingle confusedly; to assemble without order or system.
6. (transitive) To do, make, or put, in haste or roughly; hence, to do imperfectly; usually with a following preposition or adverb (huddle on, huddle up, huddle together).
   Huddle up a peace. 1845, John Henry Newman, Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine
   Let him forecast his work with timely care, / Which else is huddled when the skies are fair.
   Now, in all haste, they huddle on / Their hoods, their cloaks, and get them gone. 1728, Jonathan Swift, The Journal of a Modern Lady
   This resolution she accordingly executed; and the next morning before the sun, she huddled on her cloaths, and at a very unfashionable, unseasonable, unvisitable hour, went to Lady Bellaston […] 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
7. (bridge, intransitive) To hesitate during play while thinking about one's next move.

adj

1. Huddled, confused, congested.
   The evangelists are easily distinguished from the rest, by a passionate zeal and love which the painter has thrown in their faces; the huddle group of those who stand most distant, are admirable representations of men abashed with their late unbelief and hardness of heart. 1713, Richard Steele, The Guardian, number 21
   Gowan snored, each respiration choking to a huddle fall as though he would never breathe again. 1911, William Faulkner, Sanctuary, Library of America, published 1985, page 51