violin: Her aunt plays first fiddle with the state symphony orchestra.
3.
Nautical. a small ledge or barrier raised in heavy weather to keep dishes, pots, utensils, etc., from sliding off tables and stoves.
4.
BritishInformal. swindle; fraud.
–verb (used without object)
5.
to play on the fiddle.
6.
to make trifling or fussing movements with the hands (often fol. by with): fiddling with his cuffs.
7.
to touch or manipulate something, as to operate or adjust it; tinker (often fol. by with): You may have to fiddle with the antenna to get a clear picture on the TV.
8.
to waste time; trifle; dally (often fol. by around): Stop fiddling around and get to work.
9.
BritishInformal. to cheat.
–verb (used with object)
10.
to play (a tune) on a fiddle.
11.
to trifle or waste (usually used with away): to fiddle time away.
12.
Bookbinding. to bind together (sections or leaves of a book) by threading a cord through holes cut lengthwise into the back.
13.
BritishInformal.
a.
to falsify: to fiddle the account books.
b.
to cheat: to fiddle the company out of expense money.
—Idioms
14.
fine as a fiddle, South Midland and Southern U.S.fiddle(def. 15).
15.
fit as a fiddle, in perfect health; very fit: The doctor told him he was fit as a fiddle. Also, as fit as a fiddle.
O.E. fiðele, related to O.N. fiðla, M.Du. vedele, Ger. Fiedel, all probably from M.L. vitula "stringed instrument," perhaps related to L. vitularia "celebrate joyfully," from Vitula, Roman goddess of joy and victory, who probably, like her name, originated among the Sabines. The verb is from 1377; the fig. sense of "to act idly" is from 1530. The word has been relegated to colloquial usage by its more proper cousin, violin (q.v.), a process encouraged by phraseology such as fiddlestick (15c., originally "the bow of a fiddle;" meaning "nonsense" is from 1621) and fiddle-faddle (1577), which is unrelated, being a reduplication of obsolete faddle "to trifle." Fiddler's Green first recorded 1825, from sailors' slang. Fiddler crab is from 1714. Fiddle-head "one with a head as hollow as a fiddle" is from 1887. Fit as a fiddle is from 1616.
bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow [syn: violin]
verb
1.
avoid (one's assigned duties); "The derelict soldier shirked his duties"
2.
commit fraud and steal from one's employer; "We found out that she had been fiddling for years"
3.
play the violin or fiddle
4.
play on a violin; "Zuckerman fiddled that song very nicely"
5.
manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination; "She played nervously with her wedding ring"; "Don't fiddle with the screws"; "He played with the idea of running for the Senate" [syn: toy]
6.
play around with or alter or falsify, usually secretively or dishonestly; "Someone tampered with the documents on my desk"; "The reporter fiddle with the facts" [syn: tamper]
7.
try to fix or mend; "Can you tinker with the T.V. set--it's not working right"; "She always fiddles with her van on the weekend" [syn: tinker]
Fid"dle\, n. [OE. fidele, fithele, AS. fi?ele; akin to D. vedel, OHG. fidula, G. fiedel, Icel. fi?la, and perh. to E. viol. Cf. Viol.]1. (Mus.) A stringed instrument of music played with a bow; a violin; a kit. 2. (Bot.) A kind of dock (Rumex pulcher) with fiddle-shaped leaves; -- called also fiddle dock. 3. (Naut.) A rack or frame of bars connected by strings, to keep table furniture in place on the cabin table in bad weather. --Ham. Nav. Encyc. Fiddle beetle (Zo["o]l.), a Japanese carabid beetle (Damaster blaptoides); -- so called from the form of the body. Fiddle block (Naut.), a long tackle block having two sheaves of different diameters in the same plane, instead of side by side as in a common double block. --Knight. Fiddle bow, fiddlestick. Fiddle fish (Zo["o]l.), the angel fish. Fiddle head, an ornament on a ship's bow, curved like the volute or scroll at the head of a violin. Fiddle pattern, a form of the handles of spoons, forks, etc., somewhat like a violin. Scotch fiddle, the itch. (Low) To playfirst, or second, fiddle, to take a leading or a subordinate part. [Colloq.]
Fid"dle\, n. [OE. fidele, fithele, AS. fi?ele; akin to D. vedel, OHG. fidula, G. fiedel, Icel. fi?la, and perh. to E. viol. Cf. Viol.]1. (Mus.) A stringed instrument of music played with a bow; a violin; a kit. 2. (Bot.) A kind of dock (Rumex pulcher) with fiddle-shaped leaves; -- called also fiddle dock. 3. (Naut.) A rack or frame of bars connected by strings, to keep table furniture in place on the cabin table in bad weather. --Ham. Nav. Encyc. Fiddle beetle (Zo["o]l.), a Japanese carabid beetle (Damaster blaptoides); -- so called from the form of the body. Fiddle block (Naut.), a long tackle block having two sheaves of different diameters in the same plane, instead of side by side as in a common double block. --Knight. Fiddle bow, fiddlestick. Fiddle fish (Zo["o]l.), the angel fish. Fiddle head, an ornament on a ship's bow, curved like the volute or scroll at the head of a violin. Fiddle pattern, a form of the handles of spoons, forks, etc., somewhat like a violin. Scotch fiddle, the itch. (Low) To playfirst, or second, fiddle, to take a leading or a subordinate part. [Colloq.]
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Audio Help [fid-l] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, -dled, -dling. 
