Word
fiddle
Phoneticsfid·dle, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈfɪdəɫ/
UK/fˈɪdəl/
Countable noun Music
Definition
n. a violin, especially when someone plays it for folk or country music. It can also mean a dishonest trick or a way to cheat the system.
n. a violin, particularly in the context of folk, country, or traditional music. In British English, it frequently refers to a fraudulent scheme or a dishonest manipulation of accounts.
Examples
“He plays the fiddle in a local folk band.”
“The auditor discovered a clever fiddle in the company's expenses that had gone unnoticed for years.”
“While the instrument is physically identical to a violin, the performer's technique and rhythmic drive define it as a fiddle within the traditional Appalachian style.”
Examples
simple
“He plays the fiddle in a local folk band.”
contextual
“The auditor discovered a clever fiddle in the company's expenses that had gone unnoticed for years.”
complex
“While the instrument is physically identical to a violin, the performer's technique and rhythmic drive define it as a fiddle within the traditional Appalachian style.”
Usage
Often used in the idiom 'fit as a fiddle' to mean very healthy.
Real-World Examples
“Badenoch said: “Our government is fiddling while Europe is at risk of burning.” “United started the better in the VAR-dominated Manchester derby last Sunday, but played second fiddle to the away team after City were reduced to ten men.” Etymology
From Middle English fithele, from Old English fiþele, from Proto-West Germanic fiþulā, from Proto-Germanic *fiþulǭ (“fiddle”), of uncertain etymology. Some contest that the Germanic terms are borrowed variations of Late Latin vitula (see viola); others contest that the word has a separate origin within Germanic languages, and still others believe that the Late Latin term for the stringed instrument is a borrowing from Germanic as a change of Latin t to Germanic þ is highly improbable, yet Germanic þ to Latin t is well documented (see troop, trousers, Teobaldo, etc.). Cognate with Old High German fidula (German Fiedel), Middle Dutch vedele (Dutch vedel, veel), Old Norse fiðla (Icelandic fiðla, Danish fiddel, Norwegian fela, Swedish fela). The change from /ðl/ to /dl/ in modern English is regular; compare Bedlam, staddle, swaddle (in brothel, it was prevented; see that entry for discussion).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Idioms
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/fiddle