fumble

fumble
fumble (v.) mid-15c., "handle clumsily," possibly from O.N. falma "to fumble, grope." Similar words in Scandinavian and North Sea Germanic suggest onomatopoeia from a sound felt to indicate clumsiness (Cf. bumble, stumble, and obsolete English famble, fimble of roughly the same meaning). Related: Fumbled; fumbling. As a noun, 1640s, from the verb.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Fumble — Fum ble, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Fumbled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Fumbling}.] [Akin to D. fommelen to crumple, fumble, Sw. fumla to fusuble, famla to grope, Dan. famle to grope, fumble, Icel. falme, AS. folm palm of the hand. See {Feel}, and cf. {Fanble} …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fumble — ► VERB 1) use the hands clumsily while doing or handling something. 2) (of the hands) do or handle something clumsily. 3) (fumble about/around) move about clumsily using the hands to find one s way. 4) express oneself or deal with something… …   English terms dictionary

  • Fumble — Fum ble, v. t. To handle or manage awkwardly; to crowd or tumble together. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fumble — index miscue, mismanage Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • fumble — vb *botch, bungle, muff, cobble Analogous words: blunder, flounder, *stumble …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • fumble — [v] bumble, mess up bollix*, botch*, bungle*, err, feel, flounder, flub*, fluff*, goof*, grapple, grope, lose the handle*, louse up*, misfield, mishandle, mismanage, scrabble*, screw up*, spoil, stumble; concepts 101,181 Ant. do well …   New thesaurus

  • fumble — [fum′bəl] vi., vt. fumbled, fumbling [var. of ME famelen, prob. < ON famla, akin to Du fommeln, Ger fummeln] 1. to search (for a thing) by feeling about awkwardly with the hands; grope clumsily 2. to handle (a thing) clumsily or unskillfully;… …   English World dictionary

  • Fumble — A fumble in American and Canadian football is when a player, who has possession and control of the ball, drops the ball. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession. A fumble… …   Wikipedia

  • Fumble — Ein Turnover bedeutet im American Football den Ballverlust und die Abgabe des Angriffrechts einer Mannschaft. Dies ist beim American Football schwerwiegend, da man ohne Angriffsrecht nur schwer punkten kann. Es gibt drei Arten des Turnovers:… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • fumble — I UK [ˈfʌmb(ə)l] / US verb Word forms fumble : present tense I/you/we/they fumble he/she/it fumbles present participle fumbling past tense fumbled past participle fumbled 1) [intransitive] to try to hold, move, or find something using your hands… …   English dictionary

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