noodling

American  

[nood-ling] / ˈnud lɪŋ /

verb

1. present participle of noodle.

   I learned the hard way why noodling for catfish is considered dangerous.

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noun

1. 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.

noodling British  

/ ˈnuːdlɪŋ /

noun

1. slang aimless musical improvisation

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Etymology

Origin of noodling

First recorded in 1935–40; noodl(e) ⁴ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

noodling

Overcoming the aerodynamic drag inherent with a trad-core design was a degree-of-difficulty multiplier for Rivian’s team, requiring lots of computer simulation and iterative, millimeter-scale noodling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026

He was going out, but also writing music at home, noodling on the piano.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2026

As the mood shifts, a noodling electric guitar kicks in and the gang unconsciously assembles into poses that could be on a grunge album cover.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2024

Thomas Schelling, a well-connected Harvard economist and White House adviser, was on a plane bound for Boston when he started noodling with Xs and Os moving along a line.

From New York Times ● May 8, 2023

And so, while at GTE, he started noodling a nonmilitary question, one that troubled him and he couldn’t shake.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel