twiddle

twid·dle

 (twĭd′l)

v. twid·dled, twid·dling, twid·dles

v.tr.

To turn over or around idly or lightly; fiddle with: "Couples are twiddling swizzle sticks while waiting for their tables" (Bryan Miller).

v.intr.

1. To trifle with something.

2. To be busy about trifles.

3. To twirl or rotate without purpose.

n.

The act or an instance of twiddling.

Idiom:

twiddle (one's) thumbs

To do little or nothing; be idle.

---

[Possibly blend of twist and fiddle.]

---

twid′dler n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

twiddle

(ˈtwɪdəl)

vb

1. (when: intr, often foll by with) to twirl or fiddle (with), often in an idle way

2. to do nothing; be unoccupied

3. (intr) to turn, twirl, or rotate

4. (intr) rare to be occupied with trifles

n

an act or instance of twiddling

[C16: probably a blend of twirl + fiddle]

ˈtwiddler n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

twid•dle

(ˈtwɪd l)

v. -dled, -dling,
n. v.t.

1. to turn about or play with lightly or idly, esp. with the fingers; twirl.

v.i.

2. to play or trifle idly with something; fiddle.

3. to turn about lightly; twirl.

n.

4. the act of twiddling; turn; twirl.

Idioms:

twiddle one's thumbs, to do nothing; be idle.

[1530–40; perhaps b. twitch and fiddle]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

twiddle

Past participle: twiddled
Gerund: twiddling

Imperative

twiddle

twiddle

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	twiddle - a series of small (usually idle) twists or turns turn, twist - turning or twisting around (in place); "with a quick twist of his head he surveyed the room"
Verb	1.	twiddle - turn in a twisting or spinning motion; "The leaves swirled in the autumn wind" swirl, twirl, whirl revolve, rotate, go around - turn on or around an axis or a center; "The Earth revolves around the Sun"; "The lamb roast rotates on a spit over the fire"
	2.	twiddle - manipulate, as in a nervous or unconscious manner; "He twiddled his thumbs while waiting for the interview" fiddle with manipulate - hold something in one's hands and move it

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

twiddle

verb fiddle with, adjust, finger, play with, juggle, wiggle (informal), twirl, jiggle, monkey with (informal) He twiddled a knob on the dashboard.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

twiddle

verb

To move one's fingers or hands in a nervous or aimless fashion:

fiddle, fidget, fool, monkey, play, putter, tinker, toy, trifle.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

يَعْبَث بأصابِعِه

otáčet

dreje

herumdrehen

tripoter

snúa

far giraregingillarsigiraregirarsi i pollicileggera rotazione

sukinėti

grieztgrozīt

snu og vende påtvinne

döndürmekdöndürüp durmak

旋弄

twiddle

[ˈtwɪdl]

A. N → vuelta f (ligera)
to give a knob a twiddle → girar un botón

B. VT → dar vueltas a
to twiddle one's thumbs → estar de brazos cruzados, estar mano sobre mano

C. VI → dar vueltas
to twiddle with sth → jugar con algo (entre los dedos)

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

twiddle

[ˈtwɪd^əl]

vt [+ knob, ring, hair] → tripoter
to twiddle one's thumbs (fig) → se tourner les pouces

twiddle with

vt [+ knob, ring, hair] → tripoter

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

twiddle

vt → herumdrehen an (+dat); she twiddled the pencil in her fingers → ihre Finger spielten mit dem Bleistift; to twiddle one’s thumbs (lit, fig) → Däumchen drehen

vi to twiddle with a knob → an einem Knopf herumdrehen

n he gave the knob a twiddle → er drehte den Knopf herum

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

twiddle

[ˈtwɪdl] vt & vi to twiddle (with) sth → giocherellare con qc
to twiddle one's thumbs (fig) → girarsi i pollici

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

twiddle

(ˈtwidl) verb

to twist (something) round and round. He twiddled the knob on the radio. draai, ronddraai يَعْبَث بأصابِعِه въртя girar otáčet herumdrehen dreje στριφογυρνώ girar keerutama چرخیدن یا چرخاندن pyöritellä tripoter לְסוֹבֵב סְתָם फिराना, से खेलना okretati, vrtjeti ujjával forgat memutar-mutar (snar)snúa girare いじり回す (~을) 돌리다 sukinėti griezt; grozīt memain-mainkan zitten te draaien snu og vende på; tvinne kręcić w kółko څرخیدل یا څرخول girar a învârti крутить točiť vrteti prevrtati snurra på หมุนกลับไปกลับมา döndürmek, döndürüp durmak 旋弄 вертіти, крутити گھمانا xoay 旋弄

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.