Wiktionary
vb. 1 To manipulate an object, especially in a nervous or restless manner. 2 To adjust the position, as of an electronic device, in order to provide better reception or signal. 3 (context figuratively English) To manipulate in order to gain something for oneself.
WordNet
v. manipulate, as in a nervous or unconscious manner; "He twiddled her thumbs while waiting for the interview" [syn: twiddle]
Usage examples of "fiddle with".
The Marine had ordered Shammar to place his five soldiers as security so he could fiddle with the sensors, but the lesser imam had simply dismissed the soldiers farther into the undergrowth then used the cover provided by the vegetation to spy on the two Marines.
Personally, I'm tired of gruel and beans, and since we have to fiddle with their genes, too, why not fishlife?
Kate sat in the chair across from her, picking up a glass unicorn to fiddle with.
He bent down to fiddle with the wiring under the dashboard, leaving Kate to stand nervously by the open door.
Rune took out her fiddle with benumbed fingers, and tuned it by feel, then sat on her rock and fingered every tune she knew without actually playing, to keep her fingers limber.
Kennedy flushed, following in silence while the musician annotated his triumph by a series of gay little harmonics, and young Hopeful, trudging in the rear, executed a soundless fantasia on the cornstalk fiddle with great brilliancy of technique.
Of course if you use plastic glues and such stuff, you can do a great deal, but you should repair a fine fiddle with the same sort of glue that was used by the maker, and it is no simple thing to find out what that glue was, because glues were carefully guarded secrets.
But mostly they were just nice to have and fiddle with, now and then.
When I made no response, he began to fiddle with his copying machine.