swaddling clothes

clothes consisting of long, narrow strips of cloth for swaddling an infant.

long garments for an infant.

the period of infancy or immaturity, as of a person, or incipience, as of a thing: Nuclear energy is still in its swaddling clothes.

rigid supervision or restriction of actions or movements, as of the immature: new nations that are freeing themselves of their swaddling clothes.

Also called swaddling bands (for defs 1, 2).

Origin of swaddling clothes

First recorded in 1525–35

swabby, swabia, swabian, swacked, swaddle, swaddling clothes, swaddy, swadeshi, swados, swag, swage

A large child in swaddling-clothes, carried by a stork, was carved in oak, and occurred in various parts of the building.

Tour in England, Ireland, and France, in the years 1826, 1827, 1828 and 1829. |Hermann Pckler-Muskau
I would rather be able to say I knew it in its swaddling-clothes, than in maturer age.

Speeches of Charles Dickens |Charles Dickens
It convinces me that Earth is still in her swaddling-clothes, and stretches forth baby fingers on every side.

Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience |Henry David Thoreau
They put the child in swaddling-clothes, but instead of bands they bound him with plough-chains.

Armenian Literature |Anonymous

And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes, lying in a manger.

Religious Studies, Sketches and Poems |Harriet Beecher Stowe

swaddling clothes

long strips of linen or other cloth formerly wrapped round a newly born baby

restrictions or supervision imposed on the immature