noun
fiddle
FIHDL
noun
1
A violin, especially as played in folk, country, or bluegrass music.
"He picked up his fiddle and played a lively reel."
verb
1
To fidget or tinker with something aimlessly.
"Stop fiddling with your phone and pay attention."
"She fiddled with the radio dial trying to find a clear station."
2
To manipulate records or figures dishonestly.
"He was caught fiddling the accounts to hide the missing money."
How to Use Fiddle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA folk term for a violin, or the act of fidgeting or tinkering (sometimes dishonestly) with something.
Common pairings
fiddle with something
play the fiddle
fiddle the books
Word Forms
fiddled past tense, fiddles plural, fiddles singular
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Etymology
From Old English *fiþele, of Germanic origin, possibly connected to Late Latin vitula (source of viola) — scholars disagree on the exact link.