diddle

verb

did·​dle ˈdi-dᵊl How to pronounce diddle (audio)
diddled; diddling ˈdid-liŋ How to pronounce diddle (audio)
-dᵊl-iŋ

transitive verb

1
chiefly dialectal : to move with short rapid motions
2
: to waste (time) in trifling
3
4
usually vulgar : to copulate with

intransitive verb

1
2
: fiddle, toy
usually used with with
diddled with the machine until it broke
diddler
ˈdid-lər How to pronounce diddle (audio)
-dᵊl-ər
noun

Examples of diddle in a Sentence

He had tried to diddle his insurance agency. She felt she had been diddled out of her inheritance.

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of diddle was in 1786

Dictionary Entries Near diddle

Cite this Entry

“Diddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diddle. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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