Link Centre Dictionary

twiddle

UK/ˈtwɪdəl/ US/ˈtwɪdʌl/ rare
verb (2) noun (1)

verb

1.

turn in a twisting or spinning motion

  • “The leaves swirled in the autumn wind”
Synonyms
2.

manipulate, as in a nervous or unconscious manner

  • “He twiddled her thumbs while waiting for the interview”
Synonyms

noun

1.

a series of small (usually idle) twists or turns

Origin

Unknown. Perhaps a blend of twirl, twist, or twitch; fiddle.

Phrases

  • twiddle muff
  • twiddle one's thumbs
  • twiddling line

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.