v. 1 Often, fiddle with. meddle (with), tamper (with), interfere (with), alter, falsify, fix; cheat, swindle, flimflam; Colloq finagle, Brit cook The treasurer had been fiddling the accounts for years 2 Often, fiddle with or about or around. toy or trifle or fidget (with), twiddle or play or tinker (with), fool or fuss (with), Colloq mess or muck (about or around) (with), frivol (away), monkey (around) (with) He sat there nervously fiddling with his ear Stop fiddling about and get on with your work.
n. 3 Brit swindle, fraud, racket, thimblerig, US shell-game, Slang skin game, funny business, monkey business The tax inspector caught him in some fiddle with his business expenses 4 violin, viola, viol, cello, violoncello, kit He played fiddle for the tsar