huddled

Everyday

1. Crowded closely together in a group, often to keep warm, feel safe or talk secretly. tree →
2. Curled up or hunched, with arms and legs pulled close to the body, often because of cold or fear. tree →
3. (adjective) Pressed close together: huddled houses, huddled sheep. tree →

In the lessons

In stories «huddled» paints a picture of cold, fear or secrecy: children huddled under a blanket during a storm, penguins huddled against the wind. In science lessons animals huddle to save body heat (emperor penguins are a famous example). In sport, a team huddles to plan a play. Phrases: huddled together, huddled around (a fire, a phone), huddled up, huddled in a corner.

Examples

• The children huddled together under the blanket while the thunder roared. tree →
• Emperor penguins huddled in a big group to keep warm. tree →
• We huddled around the campfire telling stories. tree →
• The puppy lay huddled in the corner, shaking. tree →
• The team huddled to plan the last play of the game. tree →
• She sat huddled in her coat at the bus stop. tree →
• Sheep were huddled against the stone wall in the snow. tree →
• The friends huddled over the map, whispering. tree →
• She huddled by the fire not daring to move, helpless and guilty, a big woman. tree →

Note

«Huddled» is the past tense and past participle of «huddle»; a «huddle» (noun) is a close group: «the players went into a huddle». Spelling: double d. Do not confuse with «hurdled» (jumped over a hurdle). In science: huddling reduces the surface of each body exposed to the cold, so animals lose less heat.