"twiddle one's thumbs" meaning in English

See twiddle one's thumbs in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: En-au-twiddle one's thumbs.ogg [Australia] Forms: twiddles one's thumbs [present, singular, third-person], twiddling one's thumbs [participle, present], twiddled one's thumbs [participle, past], twiddled one's thumbs [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} twiddle one's thumbs (third-person singular simple present twiddles one's thumbs, present participle twiddling one's thumbs, simple past and past participle twiddled one's thumbs)
  1. to circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored Synonyms: hold one's horses, lallygag, loaf about Translations (to circle one's thumbs around one another): točit palci (Czech), trille tommelfingre (Danish), duimendraaien (Dutch), se tourner les pouces (French), Däumchen drehen (German), malmozik az ujjaival (Hungarian), malmozik (Hungarian), girarsi i pollici (Italian), rulla tummarna (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-twiddle_one's_thumbs-en-verb-5hKhSQyY Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English predicates, English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 70 30 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 61 39 Disambiguation of English predicates: 50 50 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 67 33 Disambiguation of "to circle one's thumbs around one another": 96 4
  2. (idiomatic) To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation. Tags: idiomatic Synonyms: sit on one's hands Synonyms (dawdle): fool around Synonyms (wait): bide one's time Translations (to wait or dawdle): lülə qurutmaq [vulgar] (Azerbaijani), lelkovat (Czech), trille tommelfingre (Danish), duimendraaien (Dutch), pyöritellä peukaloitansa (Finnish), se tourner les pouces (French), Däumchen drehen (German), malmozik (Hungarian), girarsi i pollici (Italian), siedzieć z założonymi rękami [imperfective] (Polish), wlec się [imperfective] (Polish), freca menta (Romanian), tăia frunză la câini (Romanian), би́ть баклу́ши (bítʹ baklúši) (Russian), сиде́ь сложа́ ру́ки (sidéʹ složá rúki) [imperfective] (Russian), rulla tummarna (Swedish), бити байдики (byty bajdyky) (Ukrainian)
    Sense id: en-twiddle_one's_thumbs-en-verb-pujzZO0l Categories (other): English predicates Disambiguation of English predicates: 50 50 Disambiguation of 'dawdle': 15 85 Disambiguation of 'wait': 11 89 Disambiguation of 'to wait or dawdle': 4 96

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for twiddle one's thumbs meaning in English (6.2kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "twiddles one's thumbs",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "twiddling one's thumbs",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "twiddled one's thumbs",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "twiddled one's thumbs",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "twiddle one's thumbs (third-person singular simple present twiddles one's thumbs, present participle twiddling one's thumbs, simple past and past participle twiddled one's thumbs)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "70 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "61 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "_dis": "50 50",
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        {
          "_dis": "67 33",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored"
      ],
      "id": "en-twiddle_one's_thumbs-en-verb-5hKhSQyY",
      "links": [
        [
          "circle",
          "circle"
        ],
        [
          "fingers",
          "fingers"
        ],
        [
          "interlaced",
          "interlaced"
        ],
        [
          "idly",
          "idly"
        ],
        [
          "bored",
          "bored"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "89 11",
          "word": "hold one's horses"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 11",
          "word": "lallygag"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 11",
          "word": "loaf about"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
          "word": "točit palci"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
          "word": "trille tommelfingre"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
          "word": "duimendraaien"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
          "word": "se tourner les pouces"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
          "word": "Däumchen drehen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
          "word": "malmozik az ujjaival"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
          "word": "malmozik"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
          "word": "girarsi i pollici"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
          "word": "rulla tummarna"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "50 50",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English predicates",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He twiddled his thumbs for almost a week while he waited for somebody to set up his computer.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation."
      ],
      "id": "en-twiddle_one's_thumbs-en-verb-pujzZO0l",
      "links": [
        [
          "wait",
          "wait"
        ],
        [
          "dawdle",
          "dawdle"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "sit on one's hands"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "11 89",
          "sense": "wait",
          "word": "bide one's time"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 85",
          "sense": "dawdle",
          "word": "fool around"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "tags": [
            "vulgar"
          ],
          "word": "lülə qurutmaq"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "word": "lelkovat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "word": "trille tommelfingre"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "word": "duimendraaien"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "word": "pyöritellä peukaloitansa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "word": "se tourner les pouces"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "word": "Däumchen drehen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "word": "malmozik"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "word": "girarsi i pollici"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "siedzieć z założonymi rękami"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "wlec się"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "word": "freca menta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "word": "tăia frunză la câini"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bítʹ baklúši",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "word": "би́ть баклу́ши"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "sidéʹ složá rúki",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "сиде́ь сложа́ ру́ки"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "word": "rulla tummarna"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "byty bajdyky",
          "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
          "word": "бити байдики"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-twiddle one's thumbs.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/19/En-au-twiddle_one%27s_thumbs.ogg/En-au-twiddle_one%27s_thumbs.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/En-au-twiddle_one%27s_thumbs.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Thumb twiddling"
  ],
  "word": "twiddle one's thumbs"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English predicates",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "twiddles one's thumbs",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "twiddling one's thumbs",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "twiddled one's thumbs",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "twiddled one's thumbs",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "twiddle one's thumbs (third-person singular simple present twiddles one's thumbs, present participle twiddling one's thumbs, simple past and past participle twiddled one's thumbs)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "to circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "circle",
          "circle"
        ],
        [
          "fingers",
          "fingers"
        ],
        [
          "interlaced",
          "interlaced"
        ],
        [
          "idly",
          "idly"
        ],
        [
          "bored",
          "bored"
        ]
      ]
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      "categories": [
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      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He twiddled his thumbs for almost a week while he waited for somebody to set up his computer.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "wait",
          "wait"
        ],
        [
          "dawdle",
          "dawdle"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "sit on one's hands"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-twiddle one's thumbs.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/19/En-au-twiddle_one%27s_thumbs.ogg/En-au-twiddle_one%27s_thumbs.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/En-au-twiddle_one%27s_thumbs.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "wait",
      "word": "bide one's time"
    },
    {
      "word": "hold one's horses"
    },
    {
      "sense": "dawdle",
      "word": "fool around"
    },
    {
      "word": "lallygag"
    },
    {
      "word": "loaf about"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
      "word": "točit palci"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
      "word": "trille tommelfingre"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
      "word": "duimendraaien"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
      "word": "se tourner les pouces"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
      "word": "Däumchen drehen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
      "word": "malmozik az ujjaival"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
      "word": "malmozik"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
      "word": "girarsi i pollici"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to circle one's thumbs around one another",
      "word": "rulla tummarna"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "tags": [
        "vulgar"
      ],
      "word": "lülə qurutmaq"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "word": "lelkovat"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "word": "trille tommelfingre"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "word": "duimendraaien"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "word": "pyöritellä peukaloitansa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "word": "se tourner les pouces"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "word": "Däumchen drehen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "word": "malmozik"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "word": "girarsi i pollici"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "siedzieć z założonymi rękami"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "wlec się"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "word": "freca menta"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "word": "tăia frunză la câini"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bítʹ baklúši",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "word": "би́ть баклу́ши"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "sidéʹ složá rúki",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "сиде́ь сложа́ ру́ки"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "word": "rulla tummarna"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "byty bajdyky",
      "sense": "to wait or dawdle",
      "word": "бити байдики"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Thumb twiddling"
  ],
  "word": "twiddle one's thumbs"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-05 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.