twiddle

Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

twid·dle [twiddle twiddles twiddled twiddling] verb, noun BrE [ˈtwɪdl] NAmE [ˈtwɪdl]
verb intransitive, transitive (BrE)
to twist or turn sth with your fingers often because you are nervous or bored
•~ with sth He twiddled with the radio knob until he found the right programme.
•~ sth She was twiddling the ring on her finger.
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
mid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘trifle’): apparently imitative, combining the notion twirl or twist with that of trifling action expressed by fiddle.
Idiom: ↑twiddle your thumbs
 
noun
1. (BrE)a twist or turn
•a twiddle of the knob
2. a decorative twist in a pattern, piece of music, etc
•twiddles on the clarinet

Word Origin:
mid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘trifle’): apparently imitative, combining the notion twirl or twist with that of trifling action expressed by fiddle.
 

• Từ đồng nghĩa / Synonyms:
  fiddle with, twirl, swirl, whirl