Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Fiddle \Fid"dle\, n. [OE. fidele, fithele, AS. fi?ele; akin to
   D. vedel, OHG. fidula, G. fiedel, Icel. fi?la, and perh. to
   E. viol. Cf. {Viol}.]
   1. (Mus.) A stringed instrument of music played with a bow; a
      violin; a kit.

   2. (Bot.) A kind of dock ({Rumex pulcher}) with fiddle-shaped
      leaves; -- called also {fiddle dock}.

   3. (Naut.) A rack or frame of bars connected by strings, to
      keep table furniture in place on the cabin table in bad
      weather. --Ham. Nav. Encyc.

   {Fiddle beetle} (Zo["o]l.), a Japanese carabid beetle
      ({Damaster blaptoides}); -- so called from the form of the
      body.

   {Fiddle block} (Naut.), a long tackle block having two
      sheaves of different diameters in the same plane, instead
      of side by side as in a common double block. --Knight.

   {Fiddle bow}, fiddlestick.

   {Fiddle fish} (Zo["o]l.), the angel fish.

   {Fiddle head}, an ornament on a ship's bow, curved like the
      volute or scroll at the head of a violin.

   {Fiddle pattern}, a form of the handles of spoons, forks,
      etc., somewhat like a violin.

   {Scotch fiddle}, the itch. (Low)

   {To play} {first, or second}, {fiddle}, to take a leading or
      a subordinate part. [Colloq.]

Fiddle \Fid"dle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Fiddled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Fiddling}.]
   1. To play on a fiddle.

            Themistocles . . . said he could not fiddle, but he
            could make a small town a great city. --Bacon.

   2. To keep the hands and fingers actively moving as a fiddler
      does; to move the hands and fingers restlessy or in busy
      idleness; to trifle.

            Talking, and fiddling with their hats and feathers.
                                                  --Pepys.

Fiddle \Fid"dle\, v. t.
   To play (a tune) on a fiddle.

Source : WordNet®

fiddle
     n : bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the
         violin family; this instrument has four strings and a
         hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played
         with a bow [syn: {violin}]

fiddle
     v 1: avoid (one's assigned duties); "The derelict soldier shirked
          his duties" [syn: {shirk}, {shrink from}, {goldbrick}]
     2: commit fraud and steal from one's employer; "We found out
        that she had been fiddling for years"
     3: play the violin or fiddle
     4: play on a violin; "Zuckerman fiddled that song very nicely"
     5: manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination; "She
        played nervously with her wedding ring"; "Don't fiddle
        with the screws"; "He played with the idea of running for
        the Senate" [syn: {toy}, {diddle}, {play}]
     6: play around with or alter or falsify, usually secretively or
        dishonestly; "Someone tampered with the documents on my
        desk"; "The reporter fiddle with the facts" [syn: {tamper},
         {monkey}]
     7: try to fix or mend; "Can you tinker with the T.V. set--it's
        not working right"; "She always fiddles with her van on
        the weekend" [syn: {tinker}]