Cradle to Grave Covers a Whole Life
A cradle is an infant's bed. The phrase cradle to grave describes systems that cover a person from birth to death.
A cradle is a rocking bed for an infant, and by extension a supporting frame. The phrase *from the cradle to the grave* became a political slogan: it described the ambition of the British welfare state after 1945, and manufacturing later borrowed *cradle to grave* and *cradle to cradle* for the environmental accounting of a product's whole life.
- An infant's bed. *Rock the cradle.*
- A supporting frame. *A telephone cradle.*
- The place of origin. *The cradle of civilisation.*
- Cradle to grave — lifelong. *Cradle to grave care.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | cradle | A wooden cradle. |
| Plural | cradles | Two cradles. |
| Verb | cradle | Cradle the child. |
| Phrase | cradle to grave | Cradle to grave provision. |
| Related | crib | A baby's crib. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Mesopotamia is called the cradle of civilisation.Place of origin.
- He cradled the injured bird.Held gently.
- Cradle to cradle design plans for reuse.Sustainability.
Cradle phrases
- Cradle of civilisation — a region where early societies developed
- Cradle to grave — covering a whole lifetime
- Cradle to cradle — designed so materials are reused rather than discarded
- Rob the cradle — American slang for dating someone much younger
- Cat's cradle — the string game
From Old English *cradol*, of Germanic origin. The welfare sense was popularised in Britain around the Beveridge Report of 1942.
Cradle or crib?
A cradle rocks; a crib or cot has fixed legs. American English uses crib where Britain says cot.
What is cradle to cradle design?
An approach in which products are designed so their materials return to use rather than becoming waste.