twiddle

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Related to twiddled: twiddle thumbs

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.

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)

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

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.

4. the act of twiddling; turn; twirl.

Idioms:

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

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

twiddle

Past participle: twiddled
Gerund: twiddling

Imperative
twiddle
twiddle

Present
I twiddle
you twiddle
he/she/it twiddles
we twiddle
you twiddle
they twiddle

Preterite
I twiddled
you twiddled
he/she/it twiddled
we twiddled
you twiddled
they twiddled

Present Continuous
I am twiddling
you are twiddling
he/she/it is twiddling
we are twiddling
you are twiddling
they are twiddling

Present Perfect
I have twiddled
you have twiddled
he/she/it has twiddled
we have twiddled
you have twiddled
they have twiddled

Past Continuous
I was twiddling
you were twiddling
he/she/it was twiddling
we were twiddling
you were twiddling
they were twiddling

Past Perfect
I had twiddled
you had twiddled
he/she/it had twiddled
we had twiddled
you had twiddled
they had twiddled

Future
I will twiddle
you will twiddle
he/she/it will twiddle
we will twiddle
you will twiddle
they will twiddle

Future Perfect
I will have twiddled
you will have twiddled
he/she/it will have twiddled
we will have twiddled
you will have twiddled
they will have twiddled

Future Continuous
I will be twiddling
you will be twiddling
he/she/it will be twiddling
we will be twiddling
you will be twiddling
they will be twiddling

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been twiddling
you have been twiddling
he/she/it has been twiddling
we have been twiddling
you have been twiddling
they have been twiddling

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been twiddling
you will have been twiddling
he/she/it will have been twiddling
we will have been twiddling
you will have been twiddling
they will have been twiddling

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been twiddling
you had been twiddling
he/she/it had been twiddling
we had been twiddling
you had been twiddling
they had been twiddling

Conditional
I would twiddle
you would twiddle
he/she/it would twiddle
we would twiddle
you would twiddle
they would twiddle

Past Conditional
I would have twiddled
you would have twiddled
he/she/it would have twiddled
we would have twiddled
you would have twiddled
they would have twiddled

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new 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

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.

Translations

يَعْبَث بأصابِعِه

otáčet

dreje

herumdrehen

tripoter

snúa

far girare gingillarsi girare girarsi i pollici leggera rotazione

sukinėti

grieztgrozīt

snu og vende på tvinne

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

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

twiddle

(ˈtwidl) verb

to twist (something) round and round. He twiddled the knob on the radio.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

Harvey never even twiddled his fingers as Penn pushed him into his bunk.

View in context

He slipped out noiselessly as a cat, on the Umballa road, hailed a passing cart and jingled away, while Kim, tongue-tied, twiddled the brass betel-box in his hands.

View in context

There is hair between every toe!" He twiddled his toes a second time.

View in context

Phil has me sitting For several weeks, Phil - officially, I've decided, one of the world's most patient men - has put up with me sitting alongside him while he twiddled his knobs and fiddled with his faders.