twiddle


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Related to twiddle: twiddle thumbs

twid·dle

(twĭd′l)
v. twid·dled, twid·dling, twid·dles
v.tr.
To turn over or around idly or lightly; fiddle with: "Couples are twiddling swizzle sticks while waiting for their tables" (Bryan Miller).
v.intr.
1. To trifle with something.
2. To be busy about trifles.
3. To twirl or rotate without purpose.
n.
The act or an instance of twiddling.
Idiom:
twiddle (one's) thumbs
To do little or nothing; be idle.
[Possibly blend of twist and fiddle.]
twid′dler n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

twiddle

(ˈtwɪdəl)
vb
1. (when: intr, often foll by with) to twirl or fiddle (with), often in an idle way
2. to do nothing; be unoccupied
3. (intr) to turn, twirl, or rotate
4. (intr) rare to be occupied with trifles
n
an act or instance of twiddling
[C16: probably a blend of twirl + fiddle]
ˈtwiddler n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

twid•dle

(ˈtwɪd l)

v. -dled, -dling,
n. v.t.
1. to turn about or play with lightly or idly, esp. with the fingers; twirl.
v.i.
2. to play or trifle idly with something; fiddle.
3. to turn about lightly; twirl.
n.
4. the act of twiddling; turn; twirl.
Idioms:
twiddle one's thumbs, to do nothing; be idle.
[1530–40; perhaps b. twitch and fiddle]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

twiddle


Past participle: twiddled
Gerund: twiddling

Imperative
twiddle
twiddle
Present
I twiddle
you twiddle
he/she/it twiddles
we twiddle
you twiddle
they twiddle
Preterite
I twiddled
you twiddled
he/she/it twiddled
we twiddled
you twiddled
they twiddled
Present Continuous
I am twiddling
you are twiddling
he/she/it is twiddling
we are twiddling
you are twiddling
they are twiddling
Present Perfect
I have twiddled
you have twiddled
he/she/it has twiddled
we have twiddled
you have twiddled
they have twiddled
Past Continuous
I was twiddling
you were twiddling
he/she/it was twiddling
we were twiddling
you were twiddling
they were twiddling
Past Perfect
I had twiddled
you had twiddled
he/she/it had twiddled
we had twiddled
you had twiddled
they had twiddled
Future
I will twiddle
you will twiddle
he/she/it will twiddle
we will twiddle
you will twiddle
they will twiddle
Future Perfect
I will have twiddled
you will have twiddled
he/she/it will have twiddled
we will have twiddled
you will have twiddled
they will have twiddled
Future Continuous
I will be twiddling
you will be twiddling
he/she/it will be twiddling
we will be twiddling
you will be twiddling
they will be twiddling
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been twiddling
you have been twiddling
he/she/it has been twiddling
we have been twiddling
you have been twiddling
they have been twiddling
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been twiddling
you will have been twiddling
he/she/it will have been twiddling
we will have been twiddling
you will have been twiddling
they will have been twiddling
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been twiddling
you had been twiddling
he/she/it had been twiddling
we had been twiddling
you had been twiddling
they had been twiddling
Conditional
I would twiddle
you would twiddle
he/she/it would twiddle
we would twiddle
you would twiddle
they would twiddle
Past Conditional
I would have twiddled
you would have twiddled
he/she/it would have twiddled
we would have twiddled
you would have twiddled
they would have twiddled
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun 1. [画像:twiddle - a series of small (usually idle) twists or turns]twiddle - a series of small (usually idle) twists or turns
turn, twist - turning or twisting around (in place); "with a quick twist of his head he surveyed the room"
Verb 1. [画像:twiddle - turn in a twisting or spinning motion]twiddle - turn in a twisting or spinning motion; "The leaves swirled in the autumn wind"
revolve, rotate, go around - turn on or around an axis or a center; "The Earth revolves around the Sun"; "The lamb roast rotates on a spit over the fire"
2. twiddle - manipulate, as in a nervous or unconscious manner; "He twiddled his thumbs while waiting for the interview"
manipulate - hold something in one's hands and move it
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

twiddle

verb fiddle with, adjust, finger, play with, juggle, wiggle (informal), twirl, jiggle, monkey with (informal) He twiddled a knob on the dashboard.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

twiddle

verb
To move one's fingers or hands in a nervous or aimless fashion:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَعْبَث بأصابِعِه
otáčet
dreje
snúa
sukinėti
grieztgrozīt
döndürmek döndürüp durmak

twiddle

[ˈtwɪdl]
A. N → vuelta f (ligera)
to give a knob a twiddle → girar un botón
B. VT → dar vueltas a
to twiddle one's thumbs → estar de brazos cruzados, estar mano sobre mano
C. VI → dar vueltas
to twiddle with sth → jugar con algo (entre los dedos)
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

twiddle

[ˈtwɪdəl]
vt [+ knob, ring, hair] → tripoter
to twiddle one's thumbs (fig) → se tourner les pouces
twiddle with
vt [+ knob, ring, hair] → tripoter
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

twiddle

vt → herumdrehen an (+dat); she twiddled the pencil in her fingers → ihre Finger spielten mit dem Bleistift ; to twiddle one’s thumbs (lit, fig) → Däumchen drehen
vi to twiddle with a knob → an einem Knopf herumdrehen
n he gave the knob a twiddle → er drehte den Knopf herum
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

twiddle

[ˈtwɪdl] vt & vi to twiddle (with) sth → giocherellare con qc
to twiddle one's thumbs (fig) → girarsi i pollici
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

twiddle

(ˈtwidl) verb
to twist (something) round and round. He twiddled the knob on the radio. draai, ronddraai يَعْبَث بأصابِعِه въртя girar otáčet herumdrehen dreje στριφογυρνώ girar keerutama چرخیدن یا چرخاندن pyöritellä tripoter לְסוֹבֵב סְתָם फिराना, से खेलना okretati, vrtjeti ujjával forgat memutar-mutar (snar)snúa girare いじり回す (~을) 돌리다 sukinėti griezt; grozīt memain-mainkan zitten te draaien snu og vende på; tvinne kręcić w kółko څرخیدل یا څرخول girar a învârti крутить točiť vrteti prevrtati snurra på หมุนกลับไปกลับมา döndürmek, döndürüp durmak 旋弄 вертіти, крутити گھمانا xoay 旋弄
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
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