fiddle

1 of 2

noun

fid·​dle ˈfi-dᵊl How to pronounce fiddle (audio)
1
: violin
2
: a device (such as a slat, rack, or light railing) to keep objects from sliding off a table aboard ship
3
: fiddlesticks
used as an interjection
4
[fiddle entry 2] chiefly British : swindle

fiddle

2 of 2

verb

fiddled; fiddling ˈfi-dᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce fiddle (audio) ˈfid-liŋ How to pronounce fiddle (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to play on a fiddle
2
a
: to move the hands or fingers restlessly
b
: to spend time in aimless or fruitless activity : putter, tinker
fiddled around with the engine for hours
c
d
: to make minor manual movements especially to adjust something
fiddled with the radio knobs

transitive verb

1
: to play (something) on a fiddle
fiddle a tune
2
3
: to alter or manipulate deceptively for fraudulent gain
accountants fiddling the booksStanley Cohen
fiddler
ˈfi-dᵊl-ər How to pronounce fiddle (audio)
ˈfid-lər
noun

Examples of fiddle in a Sentence

Noun an expert with the fiddle arrested for a tax fiddle Verb Nero fiddled while Rome burned. the executive fiddled with a pen as she impatiently waited for the meeting to begin
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.
Noun
Trimming them off encourages your fiddle leaf fig to grow new leaves. 4. Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Nov. 2024 After years with freezes, fiddle leaf figs have been pruned back to near the ground and made a full recovery. Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
Distinguished violinists from Joseph Szigeti to Hilary Hahn have tackled the Fourth Sonata, yet Jackiw sets a new standard, running the gamut from boisterous fiddling to solitary chant, with sly parodies of overcooked Romanticism along the way. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024 The cabin's still driver-focused, and there are lots of physical switches leaving very little fiddling to be done within the screen. Matthew MacConnell, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fiddle 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English fithele, fethill, fydel, going back to Old English *fithele (assumed from the derivative fithelere "fiddler"), going back to Germanic *fiþlō- (whence Middle Dutch vedele "stringed instrument," Old High German fidula, fidala, Old Norse fiðla), perhaps of onomatopoeic origin

Note: See note at viol.

Verb

Middle English fithelyn, fydelin, derivative of fithele, fydel fiddle entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fiddle was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near fiddle

Cite this Entry

“Fiddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiddle. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

fiddle

1 of 2 noun
fid·​dle ˈfid-ᵊl How to pronounce fiddle (audio)

fiddle

2 of 2 verb
fiddled; fiddling
ˈfid-liŋ,
-ᵊl-iŋ
1
: to play on a fiddle
2
a
: to move the hands or fingers restlessly
b
: to spend time in aimless activity
c
fiddler
ˈfid-lər How to pronounce fiddle (audio)
-ᵊl-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fiddle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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