English edit

Etymology edit

Sense “staying in one's home” coined by American futurologist Faith Popcorn in 1981.

Verb edit

cocooning

  1. present participle and gerund of cocoon

Noun edit

cocooning (countable and uncountable, plural cocoonings)

  1. The formation of a cocoon.
  2. (by extension) The act of staying inside one's home, insulated from perceived danger, instead of going out.
    • 2014, “Cocooning”, in Marilyn J. Coleman, Lawrence H. Ganong, editors, The Social History of the American Family: An Encyclopedia, SAGE Publications, →ISBN:
      The rise of social cocooning, beginning in the 1980s, greatly impacted the social life of families. Where once families lived in more modest-sized homes and spent time engaged in community endeavors such as church, PTA and school functions [] , many families now have more spacious homes with enough amenities that they do not need to go to the public park, the local swimming pool, or even the local movie theater; []

Translations edit

Further reading edit