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diddle
1[ did-l ]
/ ˈdɪd l /
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verb (used with object), did·dled, did·dling.
Informal. to cheat; swindle; hoax.
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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of diddle
1First recorded in 1800–10; perhaps special use of diddle2
OTHER WORDS FROM diddle
diddler, nounWords nearby diddle
didactic, didactics, didactyl, didapper, diddikai, diddle, Diddley, diddly, diddlyshit, diddly-squat, diddy
Other definitions for diddle (2 of 2)
diddle2
[ did-l ]
/ ˈdɪd 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
2OTHER WORDS FROM diddle
diddler, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use diddle in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for diddle (1 of 2)
Derived forms of diddle
diddler, nounWord Origin for diddle
C19: back formation from Jeremy Diddler, a scrounger in J. Kenney's farce Raising the Wind (1803)
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
Word Origin for diddle
C17: probably variant of doderen to tremble, totter; see dodder 1
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