twiddle

twid·dle

T0435800 (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.

twiddle

(ˈtwɪdəl) vb1. (when: intr, often foll by with) to twirl or fiddle (with), often in an idle way2. to do nothing; be unoccupied3. (intr) to turn, twirl, or rotate4. (intr) rare to be occupied with triflesnan act or instance of twiddling[C16: probably a blend of twirl + fiddle] ˈtwiddler n

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]

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

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	twiddle - a series of small (usually idle) twists or turnsturn, 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, whirlrevolve, 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 withmanipulate - 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.

twiddle

verbTo move one's fingers or hands in a nervous or aimless fashion:fiddle, fidget, fool, monkey, play, putter, tinker, toy, trifle.

Translations

旋弄

twiddle

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

twiddle

twiddle (one's) thumbs

To wait idly because one cannot take action or has nothing to do at the moment. Although the phrase refers to an actual movement of the hand (in which one's fingers are interlaced and each thumb is brought over the other in succession), the phrase is usually used figuratively. I'm just twiddling my thumbs here in the ER, waiting for someone to give me an update on Claire's condition.See also: thumb, twiddle

be twiddling (one's) thumbs

To be waiting idly because one cannot take action or has nothing to do at the moment. Although the phrase refers to an actual gesture (in which one's fingers are interlaced and each thumb is brought over the other in succession), the phrase is usually used figuratively. I was twiddling my thumbs and minding my own business when the security guard asked me if I had permission to be there.See also: thumb, twiddle

twiddle one's thumbs

Fig. to pass the time by twirling one's thumbs. What am I supposed to do while waiting for you? Sit here and twiddle my thumbs? Don't sit around twiddling your thumbs. Get busy!See also: thumb, twiddle

twiddle with something

to play with something; to play with something, using one's fingers; to fiddle with something. I asked Jason to stop twiddling with the pencils. Someone is twiddling with the stereo controls.See also: twiddle

twiddle one's thumbs

Be bored or idle, as in There I sat for three hours, twiddling my thumbs, while he made call after call. This expression alludes to the habit of idly turning one's thumbs about one another during a period of inactivity. [Mid-1800s] See also: thumb, twiddle

be twiddling your thumbs

If you are twiddling your thumbs, you are waiting with nothing useful to do. I'd far rather be cleaning than twiddling my thumbs waiting for the boys to wake up. There is a lot of team work too and no one is ever left twiddling their thumbs.See also: thumb, twiddle

twiddle your thumbs

be bored or idle because you have nothing to do.See also: thumb, twiddle

ˌtwiddle your ˈthumbs

(informal) do nothing while you are waiting for something to happen: I had to sit at home twiddling my thumbs, waiting for the phone to ring.If you twiddle your thumbs, you move them around each other while your fingers are joined together.See also: thumb, twiddle

twiddle one’s thumbs

tv. to do nothing; to wait nervously, playing with one’s fingers. I sat twiddling my thumbs while you were out doing I don’t know what all! See also: thumb, twiddle

twiddle (one's) thumbs

To do little or nothing; be idle.See also: thumb, twiddle

twiddle one's thumbs, to

To be bored; to be idle. The habit of idly turning one’s thumbs about each other during a period of enforced inactivity gave rise to this cliché, which began life in the mid-nineteenth century. “You’d have all the world do nothing . . . but twiddle its thumbs,” wrote Douglas Jerrold (Mrs. Caudle’s Curtain Lectures, 1846).See also: twiddle

twiddle

twid·dle

twiddle

twid•dle

twiddle

twiddle

twiddle

twiddle

twiddle

twiddle (one's) thumbs

be twiddling (one's) thumbs

twiddle one's thumbs

twiddle with something

twiddle one's thumbs

be twiddling your thumbs

twiddle your thumbs

ˌtwiddle your ˈthumbs

twiddle one’s thumbs

twiddle (one's) thumbs

twiddle one's thumbs, to

twiddle

twiddle

twiddle

twiddle

Synonyms for twiddle

verb fiddle with

Synonyms

Synonyms for twiddle

verb to move one's fingers or hands in a nervous or aimless fashion

Synonyms

Synonyms for twiddle

noun a series of small (usually idle) twists or turns

Related Words

verb turn in a twisting or spinning motion

Synonyms

Related Words

verb manipulate, as in a nervous or unconscious manner

Synonyms

Related Words