verb
doodle
DOODL
verb
1
To draw or scribble absent-mindedly, usually while thinking about something else.
"He doodled little stars in the margin during the meeting."
"She doodles cartoon cats whenever she's on the phone."
noun
1
A small, careless sketch made without much thought or purpose.
"Her notebook was full of doodles instead of notes."
How to Use Doodle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo scribble or sketch idly without really trying, or the little drawing that results.
Common pairings
doodle in the margin
idle doodle
doodle on a napkin
Word Forms
doodled past tense, doodles plural, doodles plural, doodles singular
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Etymology
Originally a dialect word meaning "fool" or "simpleton," from a Low German word for someone who plays the bagpipes badly; the modern "aimless sketching" sense only emerged in the 1930s, likely influenced by "dawdle."