Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Fiddle?

\Fid"dle\, n. [OE. fidele, fithele, AS. fi?ele; akin to D. vedel, OHG. fidula, G. fiedel, Icel. fi?la, and perh. to E. viol. Cf. {Viol}.] 1. (Mus.) A stringed instrument of music played with a bow; a violin; a kit. 2. (Bot.) A kind of dock ({Rumex pulcher}) with fiddle-shaped leaves; -- called also {fiddle dock}. 3. (Naut.) A rack or frame of bars connected by strings, to keep table furniture in place on the cabin table in bad weather. --Ham. Nav. Encyc. {Fiddle beetle} (Zo["o]l.), a Japanese carabid beetle ({Damaster blaptoides}); -- so called from the form of the body. {Fiddle block} (Naut.), a long tackle block having two sheaves of different diameters in the same plane, instead of side by side as in a common double block. --Knight. {Fiddle bow}, fiddlestick. {Fiddle fish} (Zo["o]l.), the angel fish. {Fiddle head}, an ornament on a ship's bow, curved like the volute or scroll at the head of a violin. {Fiddle pattern}, a form of the handles of spoons, forks, etc., somewhat like a violin. {Scotch fiddle}, the itch. (Low) {To play} {first, or second}, {fiddle}, to take a leading or a subordinate part. [Colloq.]
\Fid"dle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Fiddled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Fiddling}.] 1. To play on a fiddle. Themistocles . . . said he could not fiddle, but he could make a small town a great city. --Bacon. 2. To keep the hands and fingers actively moving as a fiddler does; to move the hands and fingers restlessy or in busy idleness; to trifle. Talking, and fiddling with their hats and feathers. --Pepys.
\Fid"dle\, v. t. To play (a tune) on a fiddle.