Dictionary.com

noodling

[ nood-ling ]
/ ˈnud lɪŋ /
Chiefly Midland U.S.

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

Example sentences from the Web for noodling

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