tiddler

noun

tid·​dler ˈti-dᵊl-ər How to pronounce tiddler (audio)
ˈtid-lər
1
British : a small fish (such as a stickleback or minnow)
Children paddle and fish for tiddlers near the riverside church at Loose in Kent.Stuart Verrells
2
British, informal : a small person or thing
IBM, the world's biggest computer maker, has signed alliances with nearly 20 tiddlers to try to combine their innovation with its own prowess in marketing and customer service.The Economist

Examples of tiddler in a Sentence

The company is no tiddler.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Wild egrets stalk the shallows for tiddlers, while the nearby reef bustles with mantas, turtles, and sailfish. Hazel Plush, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2025 On October 29th the American chipmaking tiddler reported its third-quarter results. The Economist, 31 Oct. 2019

Word History

Etymology

probably from English dialect tiddly little

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tiddler was in 1885

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tiddler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiddler. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!