fiddler

[ fid-ler ]

/ ˈfɪd lər /

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noun

a person who plays a fiddle.

a person who dawdles or trifles.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of fiddler

before 1100; Middle English, Old English fithelere; cognate with Dutch vedelaar,German Fiedler.See fiddle, -er¹

Words nearby fiddler

fiddle-de-dee, fiddle-faddle, fiddle-footed, fiddlehead, fiddle pattern, fiddler, fiddler beetle, fiddler crab, fiddlerfish, fiddlestick, fiddlesticks

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use fiddler in a sentence

Male fiddler crabs use an oversized claw to attract females and to duel other males for territory and mates.
These crustaceans take cheap shots at rivals by growing enormous claws|Kate Baggaley|February 9, 2022|Popular-Science
Sunday afternoons are sweetened with the esteemed fiddler, Brendan Mulvehill, who is sometimes accompanied by flute, guitar or other instruments.
Mattie & Eddie’s channels the Irish spirit of a veteran chef’s grandparents|Tom Sietsema|May 21, 2021|Washington Post
Almost all involved with the creation of Fiddler on the Roof had familial ties to the world Sholem Aleichem described.
The Strange Power of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’|Jen Vafidis|October 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And near the end of the play, Seguin offered an allusion to Fiddler on the Roof, yelling, “Sunrise, sunset!”
Chaz Bono’s ‘Independence Day’: Strippers, Racism & More Crazy Moments|Anna Klassen|June 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST

So words and tears were of no avail; the parson was sent for, and she was married to the fiddler.
Grimms' Fairy Tales|The Brothers Grimm
Then the fiddler said, 'That is your and my house, where we are to live.'
Grimms' Fairy Tales|The Brothers Grimm
It was not hard to tell where he was, because he was a famous fiddler.
The Tale of Chirpy Cricket|Arthur Scott Bailey
And when our Mocarze fiddler played at the inn on Sundays, even the old people couldn't keep their feet still.
More Tales by Polish Authors|Various
Metcalf was well received by the nobility and gentry, who employed no other fiddler, except a boy, whom he hired as an assistant.
Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents and Strange Events|S. Baring-Gould

British Dictionary definitions for fiddler

fiddler

/ (ˈfɪdlə) /

noun

a person who plays the fiddle, esp in folk music

See fiddler crab

a person who wastes time or acts aimlessly

informal a cheat or petty rogue

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