fiddler
gb/fˈɪdlɚ/ us/fˈɪdlɚ/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
role
1
person who plays the fiddle
A person who plays the violin in folk or traditional music.
Usage pattern:
[a/the] fiddler (in [a band/group])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think a fiddler is a different instrument from a violin; it usually means a violin played in folk styles.
Synonyms
violinist (More general and often associated with classical music.)
|
fiddle player (More explicit; same meaning, slightly more informal.)
Collocations
a traditional fiddler
|an Irish fiddler
|a bluegrass fiddler
|a country fiddler
|the band's fiddler
|a talented fiddler
|a young fiddler
|fiddler and banjo
|fiddler tunes
|a fiddler's bow
Themes
music
|arts
|people
|culture
Examples
- The fiddler led the dancers with fast, lively reels.
- They hired a fiddler to play at the barn wedding.
- She’s a brilliant fiddler who learned by ear.
Learner examples
- My uncle is a fiddler.
- The fiddler played a folk song.
Noun
informal
B2
role
2
person who meddles with things
Someone who keeps changing or touching things when they should not.
Usage pattern:
a fiddler (with [something])
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse this noun with the verb phrase 'fiddle with' (to keep touching/adjusting something).
Synonyms
meddler (Focuses on interfering in other people’s affairs.)
|
tinkerer (Can be neutral or positive when referring to experimenting with devices.)
Antonyms
noninterferer (Someone who does not get involved; uncommon but clear in contrast.)
Collocations
a constant fiddler
|a serial fiddler
|a fiddler with controls
|a fiddler with settings
|a fiddler with the thermostat
|an incorrigible fiddler
|a notorious fiddler
Themes
daily_life
|work
|behavior
Examples
- He’s a fiddler who can’t stop changing the plan at the last minute.
- Don’t be a fiddler—leave the controls alone.
- The project needs a finisher, not a fiddler.
Learner examples
- Please don’t be a fiddler with my phone.
- He is a fiddler and breaks things.
Noun
B2
entity
3
small crab with one big claw
A small crab with one very big claw.
Usage pattern:
a fiddler (crab)
Common mistake:
In careful writing, the full term is usually 'fiddler crab'; 'fiddler' alone is more contextual.
Synonyms
fiddler crab (The full and most common name.)
Collocations
fiddler crab
|male fiddler
|a fiddler’s big claw
|fiddlers on the mudflat
|fiddlers in mangroves
|a colony of fiddlers
Themes
animals
|nature
Examples
- At low tide, fiddlers scuttled across the mudflat.
- The male fiddler waved its oversized claw to attract a mate.
- We saw dozens of fiddlers near the mangrove roots.
Learner examples
- I saw a fiddler crab on the beach.
Grammar
Expressions
fiddler on the roof
1/fˈɪdlɚ ˈɔn ðə ɹˈuf/
fixed phrase
famous musical and film
A famous musical (and movie).
Examples
- Our school is performing Fiddler on the Roof this spring.
- I watched Fiddler on the Roof again for the music.
- She played Golde in Fiddler on the Roof.
fiddler's green
1/fˈɪdlɚz ɡɹˈin/
fixed phrase
literary
sailors’ paradise after death
In old stories, a happy place for sailors after death.
Examples
- The old ballad says he’ll be waiting in Fiddler’s Green.
- Some sailors used the phrase Fiddler’s Green to talk about the afterlife.
- The novel ends with a quiet reference to Fiddler’s Green.
fiddler's neck
1/fˈɪdlɚz nˈɛk/
fixed phrase
technical
skin irritation from violin
A sore spot on the neck from playing the violin.
Examples
- After weeks of rehearsals, she developed fiddler’s neck.
- A better chin rest can sometimes prevent fiddler’s neck.