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noo·dle¹

(ndl)

A narrow, ribbonlike strip of dough, usually made of flour, eggs, and water.

[German Nudel, perhaps alteration of Knödel, dumpling (from late Middle High German) or perhaps from Ladin (dialect of the Dolomite Alps) menùdli, small square soup noodle (from Latin minūtulus, very small, diminutive of minūtus, small; see MINUTE¹).]

noo·dle²

(ndl)

n.
Slang

1. The human head.

2. A weak, foolish, or stupid person.

[Probably alteration of NODDLE.]

noo·dle³

(ndl)

intr.v. noo·dled, noo·dling, noo·dles
Slang

To improvise music on an instrument in an idle, haphazard fashion.

[Imitative.]

noo·dle⁴

(ndl)

intr.v. noo·dled, noo·dling, noo·dles

To catch or try to catch a fish, usually a catfish, by hand, characteristically by allowing the fish to bite one's hand or placing one's hand in the fish's mouth, and then grabbing the fish by the mouth or through the gills.

[Origin unknown.]

noodler n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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