twiddler

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twid·dle

(twĭd′l)

v. twid·dled, twid·dling, twid·dles

v.tr.

To turn over or around idly or lightly; fiddle with: "Couples are twiddling swizzle sticks while waiting for their tables" (Bryan Miller).

v.intr.

1. To trifle with something.

2. To be busy about trifles.

3. To twirl or rotate without purpose.

The act or an instance of twiddling.

Idiom:

twiddle (one's) thumbs

To do little or nothing; be idle.

[Possibly blend of twist and fiddle.]

twid′dler n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Noun

twiddler - someone who manipulates in a nervous or unconscious manner

fiddler

manipulator - a person who handles things manually

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Chordic keyboards (Twiddler; www.handykey.com) have a smaller number of keys and letters; combinations of keys in chords generate characters.