fiddle

Meaning

Noun

1. A violin, a small unfretted stringed instrument with four strings tuned (lowest to highest) G-D-A-E, usually held against the chin, shoulder, chest or on the upper thigh and played with a bow (see also usage notes below).
2. (proscribed, usually) Any of various other bowed stringed instruments, particularly those of the violin family when played non-classically.
3. A violinist, or fiddler, in a band.
4. Something resembling a violin, or fiddle, in shape
5. Something resembling a violin, or fiddle, in shape
6. Something resembling a violin, or fiddle, in shape
7. (figuratively) A clown; an unserious person entertaining a group.
8. (figuratively, informal) Unskillful or unartful behavior, particularly when showy and superficially pleasing.
9. (figuratively, informal) Unskillful or unartful behavior, particularly when showy and superficially pleasing.
10. (figuratively, informal) Unskillful or unartful behavior, particularly when showy and superficially pleasing.
11. (especially) Any rail or device that prevents items from sliding off a table, stove, etc. in rough water.
12. (UK, obsolete, slang) An arrest warrant.
13. (UK, obsolete, slang) A watchman's rattle.
14. (UK, obsolete, slang) A trifling amount.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To play the fiddle or violin, particularly in a folk or country style.
2. (informal, transitive) To fraudulently manipulate (records, accounts, etc.) in order to cheat or swindle.
3. (intransitive) To fidget or play; to fuss; to idly amuse oneself, to act aimlessly, idly, or frivolously, particularly out of nervousness or restlessness; see also fiddle with.
4. (informal, intransitive) Synonym of tinker (“to make small adjustments or improvements”); see also fiddle with.
5. (UK, intransitive, obsolete, slang) To do odd jobs for money.

Intj

Synonym of fiddlesticks or euphemism for fuck.

Synonyms

violin

🎻

tamper

twiddle

play

monkey

🐒

shrink from

goldbrick

diddle

fumble

shirk

finagle

fiddle with

toy

tinker

ebb away

excuse

falsify

feel

fiddler

fidget

finger

gip

gouge

gyp

hit

hoax

hoodwink

jester

lag

laze

loaf

loiter

manipulate

move

mulct

pedestal

phone

☎️

play back

potter

pull away

pull back

pull out

recede

retire

retract

retreat

retrograde

ring

💍

rook

screw

Translations

violon

🎻

violino

🎻

violín

🎻

Geige

🎻

βιολί

violino

🎻

viool

🎻

keman

🎻

violí

🎻

Fiedel

🎻

Violine

🎻

keman

🎻

fummeln

κομπίνα

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈfɪd(ə)l/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: fithele

Inherited from Old English: *fiþele

Cognate with Old High German: fidula

Cognate with German: Fiedel

Cognate with Middle Dutch: vedele

Cognate with Dutch: vedel

Cognate with Old Norse: fiðla

Cognate with Icelandic: fiðla

Cognate with Danish: fiddel

Cognate with Norwegian: fela

Cognate with Swedish: fela

In summary

From Middle English fithele, from Old English *fiþele, from Proto-West Germanic *fiþulā, from Proto-Germanic *fiþulǭ (“fiddle”), of uncertain etymology. Some contest that the Germanic terms are borrowed variations of Late Latin vitula (see viola); others contest that the word has a separate origin within Germanic languages, and still others believe that the Late Latin term for the stringed instrument is a borrowing from Germanic as a change of Latin t to Germanic þ is highly improbable, yet Germanic þ to Latin t is well documented (see troop, Teobaldo, etc.). Cognate with Old High German fidula (German Fiedel), Middle Dutch vedele (Dutch vedel, veel), Old Norse fiðla (Icelandic fiðla, Danish fiddel, Norwegian fela, Swedish fela).
The change from /ðl/ to /dl/ in modern English is regular; compare Bedlam, staddle, swaddle (in brothel, it was prevented; see that entry for discussion).