The Collaborative International Dictionary
Fiddle \Fid"dle\ (f[i^]d"d'l), n. [OE. fidele, fithele, AS. fi[eth]ele; akin to D. vedel, OHG. fidula, G. fiedel, Icel. fi[eth]la, and perh. to E. viol. Cf. Viol.]
(Mus.) A stringed instrument of music played with a bow; a violin; a kit.
(Bot.) A kind of dock ( Rumex pulcher) with fiddle-shaped leaves; -- called also fiddle dock.
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(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, See fiddle head in the vocabulary.
Fiddle pattern, a form of the handles of spoons, forks, etc., somewhat like a violin.
Scotch fiddle, the itch. (Low)
To play first fiddle, or To play second fiddle, to take a leading or a subordinate part. [Colloq.]