noodling

[ nood-ling ]

/ ˈnud lɪŋ /

Chiefly Midland U.S.

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verb

present participle of noodle⁴: I learned the hard way why noodling for catfish is considered dangerous.

noun

the act of catching fish, especially catfish, with only one’s bare hands: Some states have banned noodling, citing the dangers of the activity as well as concern over sustainability of the fish populations.

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Origin of noodling

First recorded in 1935–40; noodl(e)⁴ + -ing¹

Words nearby noodling

nonzero, noob, noodge, noodle, noodlehead, noodling, no offense, noogie, Noogoora burr, nooit, nook

How to use noodling in a sentence

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
She pleased their mother by trying to teach them to read and write, and they went noodling together, or gathering wild flowers.
The Black Opal|Katharine Susannah Prichard
Young ganders and any old ganders or geese which are to be marketed are used for noodling.
Ducks and Geese|Harry M. Lamon
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

British Dictionary definitions for noodling

noodling

/ (ˈnuːdlɪŋ) /

noun

slang aimless musical improvisation

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