Advertisement
Advertisement
twiddle
[ twid-l ]
verb (used with object)
- to turn about or play with lightly or idly, especially with the fingers; twirl.
verb (used without object)
- to play or trifle idly with something; fiddle.
- to turn about lightly; twirl.
noun
- the act of twiddling; turn; twirl.
twiddle
/ ˈtwɪdəl /
verb
- whenintr, often foll by with to twirl or fiddle (with), often in an idle way
- to do nothing; be unoccupied
- intr to turn, twirl, or rotate
- rare.intr to be occupied with trifles
noun
- an act or instance of twiddling
Discover More
Derived Forms
- ˈtwiddler, noun
Discover More
Other Words From
- twiddler noun
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of twiddle1
Discover More
Idioms and Phrases
- twiddle one's thumbs, to do nothing; be idle:
Business was slack, and the salespeople were twiddling their thumbs.
Discover More
Example Sentences
We cannot dither, we cannot just twiddle our thumbs, or wait and see.
He stood like a king among his peers, but flushed and restless, twiddling his fingers as kings do not twiddle theirs.
No longer could Angèle deceive him—“twiddle him around her little finger,” as she would put it.
We don't know anything about it, but that is no reason why we should sit back and twiddle our thumbs and start at shadows.
And then comes a back-set of my health, and I have to twiddle my fingers and play patience.
Get under the pilot an' sort o' twiddle ye off the track, don't they?
Advertisement
Discover More
Related Words
Word of the Day
[in-vet-er-it ]
Meaning and examplesStart each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!
By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse