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twiddle

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twiddle

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++twid·dle /ˈtwɪdl/ verb  1 twiddle your thumbs informal to do nothing while you are waiting for something to happen 百无聊赖〔等某事发生〕 Let’s go – there’s no point in sitting here twiddling our thumbs. 我们走吧——坐在这儿干等没有用。2 TURN[intransitive, transitive] to move or turn something around with your fingers many times, especially because you are nervous or bored 〔尤因紧张或无聊用手指〕捻弄,摆弄twiddle with She was twiddling with her earrings. 她在摆弄她的耳环。twiddle noun [countable]→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
twiddleHe was twiddling a piece of cork and sucking on his empty pipe.He was twiddling his fingers and looking pleased with himself.Till then, its quarry sat twiddling his thumbs and not quite smirking.I sat there and twiddled my thumbs.The rest of us could just sit and twiddle our thumbs and drink iced coffee.The world got clearer, as if some one were twiddling the focus of her retinae.He kept twiddling the knobs on the radio trying to get a signal.Somehow it sounds even more so coming from a ballerina sitting in full-length black mink coat and twiddling with diamond earrings.He looked away and began twiddling with the curtain cord.
Origin twiddle (1500-1600) Probably copying the action
twid·dle verbChineseSyllable
for Corpus do to you are waiting to something while nothing


twiddle
twiddle /ˈtwɪdl/ verb [intransitive and transitive]
 Date: 1500-1600
 Origin: Probably copying the action
1. twiddle your thumbs informal to do nothing while you are waiting for something to happen:
    Let’s go – there’s no point in sitting here twiddling our thumbs.
2. to move or turn something around with your fingers many times, especially because you are nervous or bored
    twiddle with
    She was twiddling with her earrings.
—twiddle noun [countable]


twid·dleBrE /ˈtwɪdl/ 🔊NAmE /ˈtwɪdl/ 🔊 verbpresent simple - I / you / we / they twiddle BrE /ˈtwɪdl/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈtwɪdl/ 🔊present simple - he / she / it twiddles BrE /ˈtwɪdlz/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈtwɪdlz/ 🔊past simple twiddled BrE /ˈtwɪdld/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈtwɪdld/ 🔊past participle twiddled BrE /ˈtwɪdld/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈtwɪdld/ 🔊 -ing form twiddling BrE /ˈtwɪdlɪŋ/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈtwɪdlɪŋ/ 🔊 [intransitive, transitive] to twist or turn sth with your fingers often because you are nervous or bored (常因紧张或无聊)旋弄,摆弄,捻弄(物件)~ with sth He twiddled with the radio knob until he found the right programme. 他转动了一会儿收音机旋钮才找到了合意的节目。🔊🔊~ sth She was twiddling the ring on her finger. 她摆弄着手指上的戒指。🔊🔊twiddle your thumbsto move your thumbs around each other with your fingers joined together 抱手旋弄大拇指to do nothing while you are waiting for sth to happen (等待之际)无所事事
twid·dleBrE /ˈtwɪdl/ 🔊NAmE /ˈtwɪdl/ 🔊 nouna twist or turn 拧;转动a twiddle of the knob转动一下旋钮a decorative twist in a pattern, piece of music, etc. (图案等的)修饰性曲线,螺旋形线条;(乐曲的)装饰音twiddles on the clarinet单簧管的装饰音