caressing

ca·ress

C0111300 (kə-rĕs′)n. A gentle touch or gesture of fondness, tenderness, or love.tr.v. ca·ressed, ca·ress·ing, ca·ress·es 1. To touch or stroke in an affectionate or loving manner.2. To touch or move as if with a caress: soft music that caressed the ears.

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[French caresse, from Italian carezza, from caro, dear, from Latin cārus; see kā- in Indo-European roots.]

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ca·ress′er n.ca·ress′ing·ly adv.ca·res′sive adj.Synonyms: caress, cuddle, fondle, pat¹, pet¹, stroke²
These verbs mean to touch or handle affectionately: caressed the sleeping baby; cuddled the kitten in her arms; fondling the dog's ears; patted the child's head; petting his pony; gently stroked the patient's hand.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

caressing - affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)cuddling, fondling, hugging, kissing, petting, smooching, snuggling, neckingforeplay, stimulation, arousal - mutual sexual fondling prior to sexual intercoursesnogging - (British informal) cuddle and kiss

Translations

effleurement