diddle

¹ American  

[did-l] / ˈdɪd l /

verb (used with object)

diddled, diddling

1. Informal. to cheat; swindle; hoax.

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diddle ² American  

[did-l] / ˈdɪd l /

verb (used without object)

diddled, diddling

1. Informal. to toy; fool (usually followed bywith ).

   The kids have been diddling with the controls on the television set again.

2. to waste time; dawdle (often followed byaround ).

   You would be finished by now if you hadn't spent the morning diddling around.

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

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verb (used with object)

diddled, diddling

1. Informal. to move back and forth with short rapid motions; jiggle.

   Diddle the switch and see if the light comes on.

2. Slang.

   1. to copulate with.

   2. to practice masturbation upon.

diddle ¹ British  

/ ˈdɪdəl /

verb

1. (tr) to cheat or swindle

2. (intr) an obsolete word for dawdle

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diddle ² British  

/ ˈdɪdəl /

verb

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

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Other Word Forms

• diddler noun

Etymology

Origin of diddle¹

First recorded in 1800–10; perhaps special use of diddle ²

Origin of diddle²

First recorded in 1800–10; of uncertain origin; perhaps from dialect diddle “to cheat, hoax” or from dialect doodle (in archaic sense) “fool”; diddle ¹ ( def. ), doodle ¹ (in senses “to waste time; to deceive”)

Example Sentences

Kecmanovic, though, wins four points in a row ... only to be diddled by an incredible lob; deuce it is, then again when Monfils nails a blazing forehand.

From The Guardian

“We are looking at a way to get the vaccine distributed to tens of millions of people. There’s money in that bill. This president is diddling around and he may actually veto it.”

From Washington Times

Alfred sat in his room, wheezing away on his accordion, diddling its buttons, dutifully memorizing polkas and waltzes and marches and the “Mexican Hat Dance.”

From New York Times

“I took an hour diddling with this online shopping business — it’s kind of new to me,” Govan said.

From Washington Post

It nearly releases Insigne, who tries to diddle Maitland-Niles with a gorgeous spin, but the Arsenal man reads the situation and doesn’t buy the dummy.

From The Guardian