fiddle

Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

fid·dle [fiddle fiddles fiddled fiddling] verb, noun BrE [ˈfɪdl] NAmE [ˈfɪdl]
verb
1. intransitive ~ (with sth) to keep touching or moving sth with your hands, especially because you are bored or nervous
•He was fiddling with his keys while he talked to me.
2. transitive ~ sth (informal)to change the details or figures of sth in order to try to get money dishonestly, or gain an advantage
•to fiddle the accounts
•She fiddled the books (= changed a company's financial records) while working as an accountant.
3. intransitive (informal)to play music on the ↑violin
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
Old English fithele, denoting a violin or similar instrument (originally not an informal or depreciatory term), related to Dutch vedel and German Fiedel, based on Latin vitulari ‘celebrate a festival, be joyful’, perhaps from Vitula, the name of a Roman goddess of joy and victory. Compare with ↑viol.

Example Bank:
•She fiddled the books while working as an accountant.
Idioms: ↑on the fiddle ▪ ↑play second fiddle
Derived: ↑fiddle about ▪ ↑fiddle about with something ▪ ↑fiddle with something
 
noun (informal)
1. countable = ↑violin
2. countable (BrE)something that is done dishonestly to get money
Syn: ↑fraud
•an insurance/tax, etc. fiddle
3. singular (BrE)an act of moving sth or adjusting sth in order to make it work
4. singular (BrE)something that is difficult to do
more at fit as a fiddle at ↑fit _adj.

Word Origin:
Old English fithele, denoting a violin or similar instrument (originally not an informal or depreciatory term), related to Dutch vedel and German Fiedel, based on Latin vitulari ‘celebrate a festival, be joyful’, perhaps from Vitula, the name of a Roman goddess of joy and victory. Compare with ↑viol.
 

• Từ đồng nghĩa / Synonyms:
  violin, tinker, tamper, monkey, toy, diddle, play, shirk, shrink from, goldbrick