fumble

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfʌmbəl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

  Rhymes: -ʌmbəl

Etymology 1

Origin unknown. Perhaps from a Scandinavian source. Compare Old Norse fálma, Swedish fumla, Danish fumle, German fummeln.

Verb

1. (transitive, intransitive) To handle nervously or awkwardly.

   Waiting for the interview, he fumbled with his tie.

   He fumbled the key into the lock.

2. (transitive, intransitive) To grope awkwardly in trying to find something

   He fumbled for his keys.

   He fumbled his way to the light-switch.

   • (Can we date this quote?), Fielding, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

     Adams now began to fumble in his pockets.

3. (intransitive) To blunder uncertainly.

   He fumbled through his prepared speech.

4. To grope about in perplexity; to seek awkwardly.

   to fumble for an excuse

   • (Can we date this quote?), Chesterfield, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

     My understanding flutters and my memory fumbles.

   • (Can we date this quote?), Wordsworth, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

     Alas! how he fumbles about the domains.

5. (transitive, intransitive, sports) To drop a ball or a baton etc. by accident.
   • 2010 December 28, Owen Phillips, “Sunderland 0 - 2 Blackpool”, in BBC‎^[1]:

     Henderson's best strike on goal saw goalkeeper Kingson uncomfortably fumble his measured shot around the post.

6. To handle much; to play childishly; to turn over and over.
   • (Can we date this quote?), William Shakespeare, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

     I saw him fumble with the sheets, and play with flowers.

Translations

To handle nervously or awkwardly

• Assamese: খেপিওৱা (khepiüa)
• Bulgarian: бърникам (bg) (bǎrnikam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 摸索 (zh) (mōsuǒ, mōsuo)

• Finnish: hamuilla, hapuilla
• French: tripoter (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: fummeln (de)
• Italian: giocherellare (it), armeggiare (it)
• Japanese: いじり回す (いじりまわす, ijirimawasu)
• Russian: мять (ru) (mjatʹ), тереби́ть (ru) (terebítʹ)
• Scots: fummle
• Spanish: cantar (es), perder el balón

To grope awkwardly in trying to find something

• Assamese: খেপিওৱা (khepiüa)
• Bulgarian: тършувам (bg) (tǎršuvam)
• Finnish: hamuilla, hapuilla
• French: tâtonner (fr)
• Indonesian: meraba-raba (id)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: annaspare (it), frugare (it)
• Japanese: 探り回す (さがりまわす, sagarimawasu)
• Maori: whāwhā, hārau
• Russian: нащу́пывать (ru) (naščúpyvatʹ), ша́рить (ru) (šáritʹ)
• Scots: fummle

To blunder uncertainly

• Finnish: munata (fi), möhlätä
• Italian: farfugliare (it), balbettare (it)
• Maori: ninipa, pakihawa
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: мя́млить (ru) (mjámlitʹ) (to blunder through speech)
• Scots: fummle
• Swedish: fumla sig, fumla (sv)

To drop a ball or a baton etc

• Bulgarian: изпускам (bg) (izpuskam)
• Finnish: sählätä (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: patzen (de)

Noun

fumble (plural fumbles)

1. (sports, American football, Canadian football) A ball etc. that has been dropped by accident.

Translations

ball that has been dropped

• German: Fumble (de) m or n
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Etymology 2

Blend of fool +‎ crumble.

Noun

fumble (plural fumbles)

1. (British) A dessert similar to a cross between a fool and a crumble.

Further reading

• fumble on Wikipedia.Wikipedia