tootle

verb

too·​tle ˈtü-tᵊl How to pronounce tootle (audio)
tootled; tootling
ˈtüt-liŋ,
ˈtü-tᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce tootle (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to toot gently, repeatedly, or continuously
2
: to drive or move along in a leisurely manner

transitive verb

: to toot continuously on
tootled his flute
tootle noun
tootler
ˈtüt-lər
ˈtü-tᵊl-ər How to pronounce tootle (audio)
noun

Examples of tootle in a Sentence

We tootled along the highway. He tootled on the flute.
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.
Enter Father Amorth, tootling around Europe on a motor scooter, guzzling whiskey from a flask, and perhaps having more fun than an exorcist should be allowed. Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2023 Well into her 90s, Ms. Hoffman was known to tootle around in a pink Cadillac driven by a fellow nonagenarian. Alex Traub, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Aug. 2020 Vector’s main activity is tootling around on a table and investigating its surroundings. Dieter Bohn, The Verge, 8 Aug. 2018

Word History

Etymology

frequentative of toot entry 1

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tootle was in 1820

Dictionary Entries Near tootle

Cite this Entry

“Tootle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tootle. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

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