fiddle
A violin, especially in folk or country music.
An informal term for a violin, especially when used in folk, country, or traditional music.
To keep moving or touching something small with your fingers because you are bored or nervous.
To keep touching or moving something small with your fingers in a restless or absent-minded way, usually because you are bored, nervous, or not paying attention.
To change something again and again in small ways, often just to try it or make it a little better.
To make repeated small and often uncertain changes to something, such as equipment, settings, or a piece of work, usually to try to improve it or see how it works.
To change numbers or papers in a secret and wrong way to get money or another benefit.
To illegally or dishonestly change financial records, documents, or numbers in order to get money or an unfair advantage.
A small, secret way of getting money or benefits that is not honest or legal.
A small-scale dishonest scheme, especially one involving money or expenses, used to get extra money or benefits.
A job that is too slow and difficult because it needs many small actions and takes a lot of time.
A task, process, or situation that is unnecessarily complicated or requires a lot of small, fussy effort.
To play music on a violin or fiddle.
To play a violin or fiddle, especially in folk or traditional styles.
To waste time doing little things that are not important.
To spend time doing small, unimportant things in an aimless way, especially when you should be doing something more serious or useful.
A small raised bar on the edge of a table or shelf that stops things from falling off, especially on a ship.
A raised strip or rail fixed to the edge of a table, shelf, or similar surface, especially on a ship, to prevent objects from sliding off when the surface tilts or moves.
- Base: fiddle
- Plural: fiddles
- Base: fiddle
- 3rd Person Singular: fiddles
- Present Participle: fiddling
- Past: fiddled
fiddle about
1BrE: spend time on unimportant things
BrE: To waste time doing many small things that are not important.
- I fiddled about in the kitchen until dinner time.
- We fiddled about for half an hour before we finally left the house.
fiddle around
1Waste time doing little things
To spend time doing small, unimportant things instead of real work.
- We just fiddled around all afternoon and never got anything done.
- Stop fiddling around and clean your room.
- He likes to fiddle around in the garage on weekends.
fiddle around with
1Experiment by making small changes
To make many small changes to something to see how it works or to try to make it better.
- I spent the evening fiddling around with the new software.
- She likes to fiddle around with old radios and fix them.
- They are fiddling around with the design before the final version is printed.
fiddle away
1Waste time or money
To waste time or money on things that are not important.
- He fiddled away the whole afternoon instead of studying.
- They fiddled away most of their savings on gambling and parties.
- She fiddled away the time scrolling through social media.
fiddle the books
1Dishonestly change financial records
To change money records in a secret and wrong way, usually to steal money or hide problems.
- The accountant went to prison for fiddling the books.
- They discovered he had been fiddling the books for years to hide losses.
- The report claimed that several managers had fiddled the books to increase their bonuses.
fiddle while Rome burns
1Ignore a crisis to do trivial things
To do small, unimportant things and ignore a big and serious problem.
- The company is losing money, but the managers just fiddle while Rome burns.
- With climate change getting worse, some governments seem to be fiddling while Rome burns.
fiddle with
1Touch or move something nervously
To keep moving or touching something small with your fingers, often because you are bored, nervous, or not paying attention.
- He fiddled with his watch while he waited for the call.
- Please stop fiddling with the remote and choose a channel.
- She sat at the back of the room, fiddling with her necklace.
fit as a fiddle
1In very good physical condition
Very healthy and strong.
- My grandmother is ninety and still fit as a fiddle.
- He goes to the gym every day and is fit as a fiddle.
- After a week of rest, she was fit as a fiddle again.
on the fiddle
1Doing small, regular financial cheating
Doing a small but regular money cheat, for example at work or with taxes.
- Everyone knew he was on the fiddle, but no one reported him.
- The investigation found that several employees had been on the fiddle for years.
- He used to be on the fiddle, claiming for expenses he never had.
play first fiddle
1Have the main leading role
To be the most important or leading person in a group or activity.
- She plays first fiddle in the project and makes all the key decisions.
- For the first time in his career, he was playing first fiddle rather than supporting others.
play second fiddle (to someone)
1Be in a less important role
To have a less important position than another person and accept that they are the leader or main person.
- He was tired of playing second fiddle to his younger brother.
- She refused to play second fiddle to anyone in the company.
- For years he played second fiddle to the star striker on the team.
play the fiddle
1Play the violin
To play music on a violin or fiddle.
- Her father taught her to play the fiddle when she was a child.
- He plays the fiddle in a traditional Irish band.
- A street musician was playing the fiddle outside the station.