Definition of fiddle
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 [2fiddle] chiefly British : swindle
From the M-W Editors
Examples of fiddle in a Sentence
an expert with the fiddle
arrested for a tax fiddle
Recent Examples of fiddle from the Web
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Never mind the fact that only Shires had something of substance to offer with her fiddle solos.
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One of the most famous legends in political history is the notion that the emperor Nero played his fiddle while Rome burned.
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This tatted-up country maverick proves a fiddle and mandolin still have a place in modern music.
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In this corner, there was a trio of musicians providing a soundtrack of old-time folk music on fiddle and guitar, banging out reels, jigs, airs and waltzes.
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Irish Breakfast Band program Listen to fiddle, flute, piano and more. 7:30 p.m. Ossian Hall Park, 7900 Heritage Dr., Annandale. 703-324-7469 or fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances.
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Sam Darnold’s rise from the second-fiddle quarterback in his own recruiting class to an indispensable piece on a preseason national title contender gave the Trojans a success story under Helton’s watch to sell to QB prospects.
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The contribution of the live band — JP Coletta conducting and on keyboard, Jay McCarthy on guitar and fiddle, Bob Abbott on bass and Mark Lucas on percussion — is substantial in terms of the music and infinite energy.
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His fingers grasp the fiddle's neck tentatively, as if reacquainting themselves with an old friend.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fiddle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of fiddle
Middle English fidel, from Old English *fithele, probably from Medieval Latin vitula
fiddle
Definition of fiddle
fiddled
;fiddling
play \ˈfid-liŋ, ˈfi-dəl-iŋ\intransitive verb
1 : to play on a fiddle
2a : to move the hands or fingers restlesslyb : to spend time in aimless or fruitless activity : putter, tinker fiddled around with the engine for hoursc : meddle, tamperd : 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
3 : to alter or manipulate deceptively for fraudulent gain accountants fiddling the books — Stanley Cohen
Examples of fiddle in a Sentence
Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
the executive fiddled with a pen as she impatiently waited for the meeting to begin
Recent Examples of fiddle from the Web
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Imagine popping a pair of Beats-like headphones on your head, fiddling with some settings, and becoming a better skiier.
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In fiddling with perception, Yi operates at an intensely timely moment, when the language of persuasion plays out explicitly across newspaper opinion pages and on Facebook feeds.
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There was really no point at all in trashing the modest opening to Cuba under Obama, poisoning relations, and then just fiddling with the details.
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Nerissa fiddled with and extra flap in the plastic.
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Minnesota Lynx star wing Maya Moore laughed as teammate Seimone Augustus jokingly fiddled with a television camera in the Minnesota locker room on Sunday night.
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But trying to fiddle with these rules could end up undermining the overall competitiveness of North American manufacturers and would certainly raise the costs to consumers.
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The software adds 26 new RAM tunings for tweakers to fiddle with. [
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Marc watched Cameron’s chapped middle-aged hands fiddle with a lock on the fence.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fiddle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of fiddle
14th century
FIDDLE Defined for English Language Learners
fiddle
playDefinition of fiddle for English Language Learners
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: a dishonest way of getting money
fiddle
Definition of fiddle for English Language Learners
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: to play a violin
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: to secretly change (something, such as information) in a harmful or dishonest way
FIDDLE Defined for Kids
Definition of fiddle for Students
fiddled
;fiddling
1 : to play on a fiddle
2 : to move the hands or fingers restlessly She kept fiddling with her ring.
3 : to spend time in aimless activity They fiddled around and accomplished nothing.
4 : to change or handle in a useless way He fiddled with the controls.
5 : to handle in a harmful or foolish way : tamper Someone has been fiddling with the lock.
fiddler
\ˈfid-lər\ nounLearn More about fiddle
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See words that rhyme with fiddle Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for fiddle Spanish Central: Translation of fiddle Nglish: Translation of fiddle for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of fiddle for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fiddle
Seen and Heard
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