diddle

[ did-l ]

See synonyms for diddle on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),did·dled, did·dling.

Informal. to cheat; swindle; hoax.

Origin of diddle

First recorded in 1800–10; perhaps special use of diddle²

Other words from diddle

diddler, noun

Words Nearby diddle

Other definitions for diddle (2 of 2)

diddle²

[ did-l ]

verb (used without object),did·dled, did·dling.

Informal. to toy; fool (usually followed by with): The kids have been diddling with the controls on the television set again.
to waste time; dawdle (often followed by around): You would be finished by now if you hadn't spent the morning diddling around.

Informal. to move back and forth with short rapid motions.

verb (used with object),did·dled, did·dling.

Informal. to move back and forth with short rapid motions; jiggle: Diddle the switch and see if the light comes on.
Slang.
- to copulate with.
- to practice masturbation upon.

Origin of diddle

First recorded in 1800–10; of uncertain origin; perhaps from dialect diddle “to cheat, hoax” or from dialect doodle (in archaic sense) “fool”; cf. diddle¹, doodle¹ (in senses “to waste time; to deceive”)

Other words from diddle

diddler, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use diddle in a sentence

The only reason to have a separate vote is to diddle the White House around.
Will the House GOP Stop the War on ISIS? | Michael Tomasky | September 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Doctors understand this: When we diddle, our power is not consolidated, but completely lost.
Scott DesJarlais Crossed the Line by Having Sex With Patients | Kent Sepkowitz | November 29, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Now I want yo ter tell me all bout dis bisness flummy-diddle whats frettin yo.
Three Little Women | Gabrielle E. Jackson
For the diddlum dayDay diddle dum di!Day diddle diddle dum day!
The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes | Beatrix Potter
You will find there A fitter hand than mine, to reach her frets, And play down diddle to her.Petro.
Beaumont & Fletcher's Works (8 of 10) | Francis Beaumont

Dum-dum-diddle-um-tum-dum-dum-dum-ty-doodle; dum-dum—I say, you don't seem particularly cut up?
The Travelling Companions | F. Anstey
We all wondered what this could be, for we knew it was not there when diddle went up.
Old Wonder-Eyes | L. K. Lippincott

British Dictionary definitions for diddle (1 of 2)

diddle¹

/ (ˈdɪdəl) /

verbinformal

(tr) to cheat or swindle
(intr) an obsolete word for dawdle

Origin of diddle

C19: back formation from Jeremy Diddler, a scrounger in J. Kenney's farce Raising the Wind (1803)

Derived forms of diddle

diddler, noun

British Dictionary definitions for diddle (2 of 2)

diddle²

/ (ˈdɪdəl) /

verb

dialect to jerk (an object) up and down or back and forth; shake rapidly

Origin of diddle

C17: probably variant of doderen to tremble, totter; see dodder 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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