fiddle

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Archived revision by DannyS712 (talk | contribs) as of 02:11, 16 January 2020.
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

WOTD – 28 December 2009
A woman playing a fiddle.
John Brown's a-Hanging on a Sour Apple Tree
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

From Middle English fithele, from Old English fiþele. Cognate with Old High German fidula (German Fiedel), Middle Dutch vedele (Dutch vedel, veel), Old Norse fiðla (Icelandic fiðla, Danish fiddel, Norwegian fela).

conjectural ancient etymology

The ultimate source of the word is unknown. Some argue that the similarity in Germanic variations can be explained by adoption and subsequent corruption of a contemporary Latin word, vitula or vidula. This is known to have occurred with the Romance languages eg. viol or viola in French, Portuguese, Italian and Spanish. Others argue that the Germanic words have a uniquely Teutonic origin, but no earlier forms have been found.

Pronunciation

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈfɪd(ə)l/
  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "GA" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. enPR: fĭdʹl, IPA(key): /ˈfɪdl̩/, [ˈfɪɾl̩]
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Audio (AU):(file)
  • Hyphenation: fid‧dle
  • Rhymes: -ɪdəl

Noun

fiddle (plural fiddles)

  1. (music) Any of various bowed string instruments, often a violin when played in any of various traditional styles, as opposed to classical violin.
    When I play it like this, it's a fiddle; when I play it like that, it's a violin.
    Synonym: violin
  2. A kind of dock (Rumex pulcher) with leaves shaped like the musical instrument.
  3. An adjustment intended to cover up a basic flaw.
    That parameter setting is just a fiddle to make the lighting look right.
  4. A fraud; a scam.
  5. (nautical) On board a ship or boat, a rail or batten around the edge of a table or stove to prevent objects falling off at sea. (Also fiddle rail)

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Verb

Lua error in Module:en-headword at line 1145: Legacy parameter 1=STEM no longer supported, just use 'en-verb' without params

  1. To play aimlessly.
    • (Can we date this quote by Samuel Pepys and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      Talking, and fiddling with their hats and feathers.
    You're fiddling your life away.
  2. (transitive) To adjust or manipulate for deception or fraud.
    I needed to fiddle the lighting parameters to get the image to look right.
    Fred was sacked when the auditors caught him fiddling the books.
  3. (music) To play traditional tunes on a violin in a non-classical style.
    • (Can we date this quote by Francis Bacon and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      Themistocles […] said he could not fiddle, but he could make a small town a great city.
  4. To touch or fidget with something in a restless or nervous way, or tinker with something in an attempt to make minor adjustments or improvements.

Synonyms

  • (to adjust in order to cover a basic flaw): fudge

Derived terms

terms derived from fiddle (verb)

Template:rel-mid

Translations

See also

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=fiddle&oldid=58428748"