doodle

¹ American  

[dood-l] / ˈdud l /

verb (used with or without object)

doodled, doodling

1. to draw or scribble idly.

   He doodled during the whole lecture.

2. to waste (time) in aimless or foolish activity.

3. Dialect. to deceive; cheat.

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noun

1. a design, figure, or the like, made by idle scribbling.

2. Archaic. a foolish or silly person.

doodle ² American  

[dood-l] / ˈdud l /

noun

Chiefly North Midland U.S.

1. a small pile of hay; haystack.

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doodle British  

/ ˈduːdəl /

verb

1. to scribble or draw aimlessly

2. to play or improvise idly

3. to dawdle or waste time

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noun

1. a shape, picture, etc, drawn aimlessly

Other Word Forms

• doodler noun

Etymology

Origin of doodle¹

1625–30 in archaic sense “a fool”; 1935–40 in current senses; compare Low German dudeltopf simpleton

Origin of doodle²

Probably extracted from cock-a-doodle-doo ( def. ); a euphemism for cock ³, to avoid association with cock ¹, in sense “penis”

Example Sentences

I have an Aussie doodle, a teacup poodle and a maltipoo.

From Los Angeles Times

Jones suggests that, although the 80-page notebook suggests that "he starts off really trying hard", as you keep turning the pages Geisel's doodles "start to take up more and more of the notebook".

From BBC

She says she turned to an empty notebook, and began word doodling — scrawling random words, going wherever her pen took her.

From Los Angeles Times

Officers found the golden doodle/mini poodle tied to a baggage sizer at Harry Reid International Airport after being alerted by other travellers.

From BBC

A doodle Dad did when he was a teenager and for some reason framed and kept all these years.

From Literature