noodle

[ 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.

Words nearby noodle

nonwoven, nonyl alcohol, nonzero, noob, noodge, noodle, noodlehead, noodling, noogie, noogoora burr, nooit

Origin of noodle

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for noodling

In 1998, Joel Thomas Zimmerman was 16 years old, noodling around with vintage DOS music software like Impulse Tracker.
Mickey Mouse Takes Deadmau5 to Court|Jay Michaelson|September 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Scott Brusaw had been noodling with the idea since he was a kid.
Pave the Roads With Solar Panels?|The Daily Beast|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Uh, I'm not going to be doing a lot of noodling,” Romney said.
Will Paul Ryan Help Romney With Blue-Collar Whites?|Andrew Romano|August 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I enjoy fly-fishing, but noodling, I'm afraid, I'll leave to Paul.
Will Paul Ryan Help Romney With Blue-Collar Whites?|Andrew Romano|August 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST

But doing some noodling around on my own suggests that you have to go back to 1968 to find such a result.
Michael Tomasky on Mitt Romney, the Unlikable Presidential Candidate|Michael Tomasky|May 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Noodling geese is a method of hand feeding which has for its purpose the production of the best fattened geese.
Ducks and Geese|Harry M. Lamon
Young ganders and any old ganders or geese which are to be marketed are used for noodling.
Ducks and Geese|Harry M. Lamon

British Dictionary definitions for noodling (1 of 4)

noodling

/ (ˈnuːdlɪŋ) /

noun

slang aimless musical improvisation

British Dictionary definitions for noodling (2 of 4)

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 noodling (3 of 4)

noodle²

/ (ˈnuːdəl) /

noun

US and Canadian a slang word for head (def. 1)

a simpleton

Word Origin for noodle

C18: perhaps a blend of noddle 1 and noodle 1

British Dictionary definitions for noodling (4 of 4)

noodle³

/ (ˈnuːdəl) /

verb

(intr) slang to improvise aimlessly on a musical instrument

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