noodling

[ nood-ling ]

verb

1. present participle of noodle ⁴( def ):

   I learned the hard way why noodling for catfish is considered dangerous.

noun

1. the act of catching fish, especially catfish, with only one’s bare hands:

   Some states have banned noodling, citing the dangers of the activity as well as concern over sustainability of the fish populations.

noodling

/ ˈnuːdlɪŋ /

noun

1. slang.
   aimless musical improvisation

Word History and Origins

Origin of noodling¹

First recorded in 1935–40; noodl(e) ⁴( def ) + -ing ¹( def )

Example Sentences

“Tomorrow,” after intermission, contained 24 blissful minutes of bass, percussion, flute, guitar and vocal noodling over a recorded soundscape of environmental noise.

From Los Angeles Times

As the mood shifts, a noodling electric guitar kicks in and the gang unconsciously assembles into poses that could be on a grunge album cover.

From Los Angeles Times

While noodling on the piano, she says, “It kind of sounds like something.”

From New York Times

In the beginning, Bleachers was a vehicle for the neo-New Wave noodling Antonoff would do by himself on his laptop; later, he convened a handful of musicians — including two sax players — and the band became known as a fist-pumping, sweat-spraying, Springsteen-channeling live act.

From Los Angeles Times

One of the most exciting conversations revolved around a question that Declan had been noodling over for months: What does it mean for Africa, where the median age is 19, to be the youngest continent on the planet?

From New York Times