- (also violin)[countable] a musical instrument with strings, that you hold under your chin and play with a bowTopics Musicc2
- [countable] (British English) something that is done dishonestly to get money synonym fraud
- an insurance/tax, etc. fiddle
- [singular] (British English) something that is difficult to do
Word OriginOld English fithele, denoting a violin or similar instrument (originally not an informal or depreciatory term), related to Dutch vedel and German Fiedel, based on Latin vitulari ‘celebrate a festival, be joyful’, perhaps from Vitula, the name of a Roman goddess of joy and victory. Compare with viol.
Idioms
See fiddle in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionarybe on the fiddle
- (British English) to be doing something dishonest to get money
- Their accountant has been on the fiddle for years.
(as) fit as a fiddle
- (informal) in very good physical conditionMore Like This Similes in idiomsSimiles in idioms
- (as) bald as a coot
- (as) blind as a bat
- (as) bright as a button
- (as) bold as brass
- as busy as a bee
- as clean as a whistle
- (as) dead as a/the dodo
- (as) deaf as a post
- (as) dull as ditchwater
- (as) fit as a fiddle
- as flat as a pancake
- (as) good as gold
- (as) mad as a hatter/a March hare
- (as) miserable/ugly as sin
- as old as the hills
- (as) pleased/proud as Punch
- as pretty as a picture
- (as) regular as clockwork
- (as) quick as a flash
- (as) safe as houses
- (as) sound as a bell
- (as) steady as a rock
- (as) thick as two short planks
- (as) tough as old boots
play second fiddle (to somebody/something)
- to be treated as less important than somebody/something; to have a less important position than somebody/something else
- I’m not going to play second fiddle to anyone.
- The narrative in this book plays second fiddle to the excellent photographs.
Check pronunciation:
fiddle