MUDDLE

I. verb (~d; muddling) Etymology: probably from obsolete Dutch moddelen, from Middle Dutch, from modde mud; akin to Middle Low German mudde Date: 1676 transitive verb to make turbid or muddy, to befog or stupefy especially with liquor, to mix confusedly, to make a mess of ; bungle , intransitive verb to think or act in a confused aimless way, ~r noun II. noun Date: circa 1818 a state of especially mental confusion, a confused mess, muddly adjective