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Definition of "twiddle" [twid•dle]

  • To turn over or around idly or lightly; fiddle with: "Couples are twiddling swizzle sticks while waiting for their tables” ( Bryan Miller). (verb-transitive)
  • To trifle with something. (verb-intransitive)
  • To be busy about trifles. (verb-intransitive)
  • To twirl or rotate without purpose. (verb-intransitive)
  • The act or an instance of twiddling. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "twiddle" in a sentence
  • "On the back of the trim display are two adjusting screws (difficult to see but one is coloured blue) Which one do I 'twiddle' to make the adjustment."
  • "~ = tilde (aka "twiddle") ` = backtick what else do we have here ..."
  • "You could be forgiven for thinking that all we need to do to get better care and lower costs is twiddle our thumbs and wait for all of federal reform to kick in."