piddle

[ pid-l ]

verb (used without object)

, pid·dled, pid·dling.

1. to spend time in a wasteful, trifling, or ineffective way; dawdle (often followed by around ):

   He wasted the day piddling around.

2. Informal. (especially of children and pets) to urinate.

verb (used with object)

, pid·dled, pid·dling.

1. to waste (time, money, etc.); fail to utilize (usually followed by away ).

piddle

/ ˈpɪdəl /

verb

1. informal.
   intr to urinate
2. whentr, often foll by away to spend (one's time) aimlessly; fritter

Derived Forms

• ˈpiddler, noun

Other Words From

• piddler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of piddle¹

First recorded in 1535–45; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of piddle¹

C16: origin unknown

Example Sentences

Calling them “piddle,” they did just enough work to get by and nothing more.

From Literature

“I think she means the ‘piddle’ of the scene,” joked Cha-Cha.

From Literature

Tom Hiddleston's college nickname was "Piddle."

From Salon

"Very soon after I arrived I got the nickname 'Piddle,'" he told Graham Norton in 2020.

From Salon

"The boys made up the rhyme, 'Hiddle Piddle did a widdle in the middle of the night.'"

From Salon

Related Words

• loiter
• loll
• saunter