These words refer to the pleasurable, desirous or affectionate holding or stroking of something. Caress indicates a brief, gentle or embracing motion expressive of love or desire: tenderly caressing her once more before boarding the train. Fondle may stress desire more than love, but carries the same connotation of gentleness as caress . Whereas caress might be done with the arms and body, however, fondle might more typically be done solely with the hands and so suggest a greater possible distance than caress : fondling the nape of his neck with her open palm. Cuddle is more informal than the foregoing; it specifically suggests body-to-body contact, but not necessarily to imply desire at all so much as affectionate pleasure: sleeping kittens cuddled next to their watchful mother. Hug emphasizes one possibility in caress , specifically suggesting an armclasp expressive of affection or desire. Being much more informal than caress or fondle , and even than cuddle , hug seems better suited to indicate earthier emotions, although it contrasts with all the foregoing by stressing intensity of feeling rather than gentleness: desperately hugging her injured child; turning to hug each other as soon as they were in a secluded part of the park. Dandle is perhaps the most specific of all these words, restricting itself most concretely to the bouncing or rocking of a child in one’s lap or on one’s knee: gently dandling the child as she sang a lively nursery rhyme.

Pet , in its oldest sense, is close to fondle in indicating the stroking of a body with one’s hand: petting the purring cat. In a more recent quasi-slang sense, the word relates to caress and fondle , but more specifically suggests in tense sexual play between lovers that stops short of intercourse: teenagers who find that petting in the back seats of cares only intensifies their natural frustrations. Neck is a slang term that exclusively pertains to this last sense of pet , but usually suggests kissing, and may imply greater restraint than pet : couples who sat in the back circle of the theatre and spent more time necking than watching the movie. Smooch is a slang term similar in meaning to neck , but often suggesting slobbery comic awkwardness rather than having sexual overtones, even if the affection is usually mutual.