fondle vs caress

fondle is not a noun while caress is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
fondle	No	No	Yes	No
caress	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, fondle and caress are synonyms defined as:

fondle and caress: touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner

fondle (noun)	caress (noun)
	a gentle affectionate stroking (or something resembling it)

fondle (verb)	caress (verb)
touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner	touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner