fiddle

(fĭdˈl)

1. a. A violin.
   b. A member of the violin family.
2. Nautical A guardrail used on a table during rough weather to prevent things from slipping off.
3. Informal Nonsensical, trifling matters: “There are things that are important/beyond all this fiddle” (Marianne Moore).
4. The act or an instance of cheating or swindling; a fraud.

1. To play a violin.
2. a. To move one's fingers or hands in a nervous fashion.
   b. To occupy oneself in an aimless or desultory way: liked to fiddle with all the knobs and dials.
   c. To meddle or tamper: a reporter who fiddled with the facts.
3. To commit a fraud, especially to steal from one's employer.

1. To play (a tune) on a violin.
2. To cheat or swindle.
3. To alter or falsify (accounts, for example) for dishonest gain.

Related Forms:

• fidˈdler noun