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noodle
1[ nood-l ]
/ ˈnud l /
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noun
a narrow strip of unleavened egg dough that has been rolled thin and dried, boiled, and served alone or in soups, casseroles, etc.; a ribbon-shaped pasta.
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Origin of noodle
1First recorded in 1770–80; from German Nudel
Words nearby noodle
nonwoven, nonyl alcohol, nonzero, noob, noodge, noodle, noodlehead, noodling, no offense, noogie, Noogoora burr
Other definitions for noodle (2 of 4)
noodle2
[ nood-l ]
/ ˈnud l /
noun
Slang.
- the head.
- the mind.
a fool or simpleton.
Other definitions for noodle (3 of 4)
noodle3
[ nood-l ]
/ ˈnud l /
verb (used without object), noo·dled, noo·dling.
to improvise a musical passage in a casual manner, especially as a warm-up exercise.
Informal.
- to play; toy: to noodle with numbers as a hobby.
- to improvise, experiment, or think creatively: The writers noodled for a week and came up with a better idea for the ad campaign.
verb (used with object), noo·dled, noo·dling.
Informal.
- to manipulate or tamper with: She denied that she had noodled the statistics to get a favorable result.
- to make or devise freely as an exercise or experiment (sometimes followed by up): The architects noodled up a model of a solar house.
Verb Phrases
noodle around, Informal. to play, experiment, or improvise.
Origin of noodle
3An Americanism dating back to 1935–40; origin uncertain
Other definitions for noodle (4 of 4)
noodle4
[ nood-l ]
/ ˈnud l /
verb (used with or without object), noo·dled, noo·dling.Chiefly Midland U.S.
to catch fish, especially catfish, with only one’s bare hands: We watched him noodle a 62-pound flathead catfish.Their video on how to noodle for some pretty monstrous catfish includes footage from several rivers in Oklahoma.
Origin of noodle
4First recorded in 1920–25; origin unknown
OTHER WORDS FROM noodle
noo·dler, nounnoo·dling, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use noodle in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for noodle (1 of 3)
noodle1
/ (ˈnuːdəl) /
noun
(often plural) a ribbon-like strip of pasta: noodles are often served in soup or with a sauce
Word Origin for noodle
C18: from German Nudel, origin obscure
British Dictionary definitions for noodle (2 of 3)
Word Origin for noodle
C18: perhaps a blend of noddle 1 and noodle 1
British Dictionary definitions for noodle (3 of 3)
noodle3
/ (ˈnuːdəl) /
verb
(intr) slang to improvise aimlessly on a musical instrument
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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