The meaning of Fiddling

verb

Change in character or composition, typically in a comparatively small but significant way.

Usage examples:

Eliot was persuaded to alter the passage

verb

To change a characteristic, often slightly, or to cause this to happen

Usage examples:

[ t ] the coat was too long, so i took it back to the store to have it altered., some things in lif…

verb

To change the appearance, character, or structure of something, or to be changed in this way

Usage examples:

Just last week, the company agreed to alter some of its business practices., if they want to contin…

verb

Prepare (food, a dish, or a meal) by mixing, combining, and heating the ingredients.

Usage examples:

Shall i cook dinner tonight?

noun

A person who prepares and cooks food, especially as a job or in a specified way.

Usage examples:

Susan was a school cook

noun

Transform by heating

verb

Cheat or swindle (someone) so as to deprive them of something.

Usage examples:

He thought he'd been diddled out of his change

verb

To get money from someone in a way that is not honest

Usage examples:

He diddled me! he said that there were six in a bag, but there were only five., i checked the bill …

verb

Pull or twist out of shape.

Usage examples:

A grimace distorted her mouth

verb

To change something from its natural or usual shape or condition

Usage examples:

Agony distorted his face., there are those who would distort the facts to serve their own political…

verb

To change something from its original, natural, or intended meaning, condition, or shape, especially in a negative way

Usage examples:

Governments are able to maintain discriminatory procurement practices which significantly distort t…

noun

A person who is qualified to treat people who are ill.

Usage examples:

Doctor thornhill

verb

Change the content or appearance of (a document or picture) in order to deceive; falsify.

Usage examples:

The reports could have been doctored

noun

A person with a medical degree whose job is to treat people who are ill or injured

Usage examples:

This health plan lets you choose your own doctor., he claimed the photo had been doctored.

verb

Alter (information, a document, or evidence) so as to mislead.

Usage examples:

A laboratory which was alleged to have falsified test results

verb

To change documents, figures, records, etc. in order to deceive someone

Usage examples:

She was charged with falsifying bank records., the certificate had clearly been falsified., five pe…

verb

Be aware of (a person or object) through touching or being touched.

Usage examples:

She felt someone touch her shoulder

noun

An act of touching something to examine it.

Usage examples:

I let him have a feel of my hair and kept saying ‘it's a bit of a shock, isn't it?’ (must have been…

verb

Be conscious of a physical, mental, or emotional state

verb

Make small movements, especially of the hands and feet, through nervousness or impatience.

Usage examples:

The audience began to fidget and whisper

noun

A person who fidgets.

Usage examples:

He was also a bit of a fidget, i'd observed him earlier in the day spending a good 30 minutes clear…

verb

To make continuous small movements because you are uncomfortable or bored

Usage examples:

Children can’t sit still for long without fidgeting.

verb

Obtain by dishonest or devious means.

Usage examples:

Ted attended all the football games he could finagle tickets for

verb

To get something by using an indirect method

Usage examples:

[ t ] how can i finagle a place on the guest list for the big party?

noun

Each of the four slender jointed parts attached to either hand (or five, if the thumb is included).

Usage examples:

She raked her hair back with her fingers

verb

Touch or feel with the fingers.

Usage examples:

The thin man fingered his moustache

verb

Any of the terminal members of the hand

verb

Fasten (something) securely in a particular place or position.

Usage examples:

They had candles fixed to their helmets

noun

A difficult or awkward situation from which it is hard to extricate oneself; a predicament.

Usage examples:

How on earth did you get into such a fix?

verb

Restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken

noun

Nonsensical or insincere talk.

Usage examples:

Pseudo-intellectual flimflam

verb

Swindle (someone) with a confidence trick.

Usage examples:

The tribe was flimflammed out of its land

noun

Talk that is confusing and intended to deceive

adjective

Trivial and irritating.

Usage examples:

Year after year you come with the same footling complaint

verb

Engage in fruitless activity; mess about.

Usage examples:

Where's that pesky creature that was footling about outside?

adjective

Silly or not important

Usage examples:

He could always do something useful instead of wasting my time with footling queries.

noun

A display of unnecessary or excessive excitement, activity, or interest.

Usage examples:

I don't know what all the fuss is about

verb

Show unnecessary or excessive concern about something.

Usage examples:

She's always fussing about her food

verb

Feel or manipulate with the hands.

Usage examples:

Heavy paving slabs can be difficult to handle

noun

The part by which a thing is held, carried, or controlled.

Usage examples:

A holdall with two carrying handles

verb

Touch, lift, or hold

adjective

Happening as a minor accompaniment to something else.

Usage examples:

For the fieldworker who deals with real problems, paperwork is incidental

noun

An incidental expense, event, etc.

Usage examples:

An allowance to cover meals, taxis, and other incidentals

adjective

Happening by chance, or in connection with something of greater importance

Usage examples:

His influence on younger employees was incidental, not intentional., will i be reimbursed for incid…

adjective

Not important or significant.

Usage examples:

They talked about inconsequential things

adjective

Not important; able to be ignored

Usage examples:

Changes in the stock market were pretty inconsequential during the past week.

adjective

Of small size, amount, or extent.

Usage examples:

A not inconsiderable amount of money

adjective

Very small and therefore not important or not worth considering

Usage examples:

Not inconsiderable sum he inherited a not inconsiderable (= a large) sum., not inconsiderable amoun…

adjective

Too small or unimportant to be worth consideration.

Usage examples:

The sum required was insignificant compared with military spending

adjective

Not important or thought to be valuable

Usage examples:

Her problems seemed pretty insignificant compared to her brother’s., my colleagues despised this ma…

verb

Continuously toss into the air and catch (a number of objects) so as to keep at least one in the air while handling the others.

Usage examples:

Charles juggled five tangerines, his hands a frantic blur

noun

An act of juggling.

Usage examples:

Life's a juggle, and you make the choices that suit your life.

verb

To throw several objects into the air, catch them, and keep them moving so that at least one is always in the air

Usage examples:

[ t ] fig. many women find it hard to juggle a family and a career (= to arrange their lives so tha…

verb

Handle or control (a tool, mechanism, information, etc.) in a skilful manner.

Usage examples:

He manipulated the dials of the set

verb

Influence or control shrewdly or deviously

verb

To influence or control someone to your advantage, often without that person knowing it

Usage examples:

Her success is partly due to her ability to manipulate the media., the wheelchair is designed to be…

noun

The rubbing and kneading of muscles and joints of the body with the hands, especially to relieve tension or pain.

Usage examples:

Massage can ease tiredness

verb

Rub and knead (a person or part of the body) with the hands.

Usage examples:

She massaged his tired muscles

verb

Kneading and rubbing parts of the body

phrasal verb

To treat someone badly

Usage examples:

I'm tired of being messed around by my bank., don't mess me about!

adjective

Lesser in importance, seriousness, or significance.

Usage examples:

She requested a number of minor alterations

noun

A person under the age of full legal responsibility.

Usage examples:

The court would take account of the minor's wishes

verb

Short for minor suit.

Usage examples:

A bid of two no trumps shows strength in the minors

verb

Give a false or misleading account of the nature of.

Usage examples:

You are misrepresenting what i said

verb

To represent something or someone falsely, often in order to obtain an advantage

Usage examples:

He misrepresented facts about his legal experience on his application.

verb

To give false information about something or someone, often in order to get an advantage

Usage examples:

She believes that the defendant's lawyers misrepresented the situation., be misrepresented (by sb/i…

adjective

So small or unimportant as to be not worth considering; insignificant.

Usage examples:

He said that the risks were negligible

adjective

Too slight or small in amount to be important

Usage examples:

The effect on sales was negligible.

adjective

Too small in amount or degree to be of importance

Usage examples:

The interest received from these accounts is negligible., negligible effect/impact the rise in the …

adjective

(of an amount) very small or meagre.

Usage examples:

She would earn a paltry £33 more a month

adjective

Less than expected or needed; too small or slight

Usage examples:

I don’t think my paltry student grants are enough for us to live on.

adjective

Used to describe an amount of money that is very small

Usage examples:

The savers were getting a paltry 0.1% interest regardless of the balance in their accounts., a palt…

noun

An animal's foot having claws and pads.

Usage examples:

The feet of the throne are modeled after large catlike paws without claws.

verb

(of an animal) feel or scrape with a paw or hoof.

Usage examples:

The horse rose up, its forelegs pawing the air

verb

A clawed foot of an animal, especially a quadruped

adjective

Of little value or importance

Usage examples:

He was proposing some penny-ante increase.

verb

Distort or corrupt the original course, meaning, or state of (something).

Usage examples:

He was charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice

noun

A person whose sexual behaviour is regarded as abnormal and unacceptable.

verb

To change something from its correct use or original purpose

Usage examples:

These journalists are perverting the news., the will of the people is being perverted by their elec…

adjective

Of little importance; trivial.

Usage examples:

Both groups are known to fight over petty issues

adjective

Small or of little importance

Usage examples:

A petty thief, i don’t have time for petty matters like that., retaliating against the people who h…

adjective

Pathetically trivial; trifling.

Usage examples:

Piddling little questions

verb

Urinate.

adjective

Very small or unimportant

Usage examples:

A piddling amount/figure

adjective

Trivial; unimportant.

Usage examples:

It was recorded in a basement for a piffling two grand

adjective

Extremely small or not important

Usage examples:

Piffling details, a piffling amount

verb

Engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.

Usage examples:

The children were playing by a pool

noun

Activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation, especially by children.

Usage examples:

A child at play may use a stick as an aeroplane

verb

Engage in recreational activities rather than work

verb

Provide (a sailing boat) with sails and rigging.

Usage examples:

The catamaran will be rigged as a ketch

noun

The particular way in which a sailing boat's masts, sails, and rigging are arranged.

Usage examples:

A ketch rig

noun

A trick or swindle.

adjective

Small in degree; inconsiderable.

Usage examples:

A slight increase

verb

Insult (someone) by treating or speaking of them without proper respect or attention.

Usage examples:

He was desperate not to slight a guest

noun

An insult caused by a failure to show someone proper respect or attention.

Usage examples:

An unintended slight can create grudges

adjective

Of a size that is less than normal or usual.

Usage examples:

The room was small and quiet

adverb

Into small pieces.

Usage examples:

Cut the okra up small

plural noun

Small items of clothing, especially underwear.

Usage examples:

Do we know if secreted about his smalls he has a pair of boxer shorts in either the ancient or red …

noun

The short, thick first digit of the human hand, set lower and apart from the other four and opposable to them.

Usage examples:

The most commonly affected digits are the thumb and index finger.

verb

Press, move, or touch (something) with one's thumb.

Usage examples:

As soon as she thumbed the button, the door slid open

noun

The short finger that is at an angle to the other fingers

Usage examples:

How did you cut your thumb?

verb

Come into or be in contact with.

Usage examples:

He leaned back so that only two legs of his chair touched the floor

noun

An act of touching someone or something.

Usage examples:

Her touch on his shoulder was hesitant

verb

Make physical contact with, come in contact with

noun

An object for a child to play with, typically a model or miniature replica of something.

Usage examples:

A toy car

verb

Move or handle (an object) absent-mindedly or nervously.

Usage examples:

Alan toyed with his glasses

noun

An object that children play with

Usage examples:

A stuffed toy, a toy train/soldier, a toy poodle

noun

A thing of little value or importance.

Usage examples:

We needn't trouble the headmaster over such trifles

verb

Treat without seriousness or respect.

Usage examples:

He is not a man to be trifled with

noun

A matter or item of little value or importance

Usage examples:

He admits to being a trifle nervous before every show., it was such a trifling sum of money to argu…

adjective

Unimportant or trivial.

Usage examples:

A trifling sum

verb

Treat without seriousness or respect.

Usage examples:

He is not a man to be trifled with

adjective

A trifling matter or amount of money is small or not important

Usage examples:

It was such a trifling sum of money to argue about!

adjective

Of little value or importance.

Usage examples:

Huge fines were imposed for trivial offences

verb

Twist, move, or fiddle with (something), typically in a purposeless or nervous way.

Usage examples:

She twiddled the dials on the radio

noun

An act of twisting or fiddling with something.

Usage examples:

One twiddle of a button

verb

To move something about between your fingers without giving it your attention

Usage examples:

She kept twiddling her necklace.

adjective

Lacking in importance or significance.

Usage examples:

Trivial and unimportant details

adjective

Not important

Usage examples:

The money we lost is relatively unimportant, but the emotional stress of being robbed is hard to ge…