■ noun
1》 informal a violin.
2》 informal, chiefly Brit. an act of fraud or cheating.
3》 Brit. informal an unnecessarily intricate or awkward task.
4》 Nautical a raised rim that prevents things from falling off a table in rough seas.
■ verb
1》 touch or fidget with something restlessly or nervously.
2》 informal, chiefly Brit. falsify (figures, data, or records).
3》 informal play the violin.
Phrases
~ while Rome burns be concerned with relatively trivial matters while ignoring the serious events going on around one.
( as ) fit as a ~ in very good health.
on the ~ informal, chiefly Brit. engaged in fraud or cheating.
play second ~ to take a subordinate role to.
Derivatives
~r noun ( informal ).
Origin
OE fithele , based on L. vitulari 'celebrate a festival'; cf. viol .