twiddle

1 of 2

verb

twid·​dle ˈtwi-dᵊl How to pronounce twiddle (audio)
twiddled; twiddling
ˈtwid-liŋ,
ˈtwi-dᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce twiddle (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to play negligently with something : fiddle
2
: to turn or jounce lightly
twiddles round and round in the waterJ. B. S. Haldane

transitive verb

: to rotate lightly or idly
twiddled his pen

twiddle

2 of 2

noun

: turn, twist
Phrases
twiddle one's thumbs
: to spend time idly : do nothing

Examples of twiddle in a Sentence

Verb Just twiddle the dial on the radio a bit for better reception. Twiddle the knob on the telescope until things are in focus. She twiddled her pen while she talked on the phone. She twiddled with her pen while she talked on the phone.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Instead, he’s been twiddling a pair of knitting needles. Meghan Pryce, CNN, 1 Aug. 2024 There is no sitting on the sidelines and no twiddling our thumbs or navel gazing. Abc News, ABC News, 5 June 2024
Noun
Crucially, in the new scheme, all inputs and outputs between simulations of different scales must be consistent, leaving fewer dials to twiddle. Thomas Lewton, Quanta Magazine, 23 Aug. 2022 Pilots sit behind a modern avionic dashboard and twiddle control sticks to direct advanced, swiveling engines. Andrew Van Dam, chicagotribune.com, 12 June 2018 See all Example Sentences for twiddle 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'twiddle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of twiddle was circa 1540

Dictionary Entries Near twiddle

Cite this Entry

“Twiddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twiddle. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

twiddle

verb
twid·​dle
ˈtwid-ᵊl
twiddled; twiddling
ˈtwid-liŋ,
-ᵊl-iŋ
: to rotate lightly or idly
twiddle one's thumbs

More from Merriam-Webster on twiddle

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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