fumble

fumble

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfʌmbəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  Rhymes: -ʌmbəl

Etymology 1

Late Middle English, from Low German fommeln or Dutch fommelen.[1]

Or, perhaps from a Scandinavian/North Germanic source; compare Old Norse fálma, Swedish fumla, Danish fumle, German fummeln.

The ultimate origin for either could perhaps be imitative of fumbling.[2] Or, from Proto-Indo-European *pal- (“to shake, swing”), see also Latin palpo (“I pat, touch softly”), and possibly Proto-West Germanic *fōlijan (“to feel”).[3]

Verb

fumble (third-person singular simple present fumbles, present participle fumbling, simple past and past participle fumbled)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To handle nervously or awkwardly.

   Waiting for the interview, he fumbled with his tie.

   He fumbled the key into the lock.

2. (transitive, intransitive) To grope awkwardly in trying to find something

   He fumbled for his keys.

   He fumbled his way to the light-switch.

   • 1743, Henry Fielding, The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), 3rd edition, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], OCLC 1157347657:

     Adams now began to fumble in his pockets.

3. (intransitive) To blunder uncertainly.

   He fumbled through his prepared speech.

4. To grope about in perplexity; to seek awkwardly.

   to fumble for an excuse

   • 1711 August 12, Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, letter to Dr. Chevenix:

     My understanding stutters, and my memory fumbles.

   • 1800, Wordsworth, Written in Germany on one of the coldest days of the century:

     Alas! how he fumbles about the domains.

5. (transitive, intransitive, sports) To drop a ball or a baton etc. by accident.
   • 2010 December 28, Owen Phillips, “Sunderland 0 - 2 Blackpool”, in BBC‎:

     Henderson's best strike on goal saw goalkeeper Kingson uncomfortably fumble his measured shot around the post.

6. To handle much; to play childishly; to turn over and over.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act II, scene iii]:

     I saw him fumble with the sheets, and play with flowers.

7. (slang, obsolete) Of a man, to sexually underperform. [16th to 18th c.]

Synonyms

• (grope awkwardly): grubble, poke; see also Thesaurus:feel around

Translations

To handle nervously or awkwardly

Assamese: খেপিওৱা (khepiüa) Bulgarian: бърникам (bg) (bǎrnikam) Chinese: Mandarin: 摸索 (zh) (mōsuǒ, mōsuo) Finnish: hamuilla, hapuilla (fi) French: tripoter (fr) Galician: tentar (gl) German: fummeln (de) Italian: giocherellare (it), armeggiare (it) Japanese: いじり回す (いじりまわす, ijirimawasu) Maori: pakihawa Russian: мять (ru) (mjatʹ), тереби́ть (ru) (terebítʹ) Scots: fummle Spanish: cantar (es), perder el balón

To grope awkwardly in trying to find something

Assamese: খেপিওৱা (khepiüa) Bulgarian: тършувам (bg) (tǎršuvam) Finnish: hamuilla, hapuilla (fi) French: tâtonner (fr) Indonesian: meraba-raba (id) Italian: annaspare (it), frugare (it) Japanese: 探り回す (さがりまわす, sagarimawasu) Kabuverdianu: palpa, palpá Maori: whāwhā, hārau Polish: szperać (pl) impf Russian: нащу́пывать (ru) (naščúpyvatʹ), ша́рить (ru) (šáritʹ) Scots: fummle Ukrainian: намацувати (uk) (namacuvaty)

To blunder uncertainly

Finnish: munata (fi), möhlätä (fi) Italian: farfugliare (it), balbettare (it) Maori: ninipa, pakihawa Russian: мя́млить (ru) (mjámlitʹ) (to blunder through speech) Scots: fummle Swedish: fumla sig, fumla (sv)

To drop a ball or a baton etc

Bulgarian: изпускам (bg) (izpuskam) Finnish: sählätä (fi) German: patzen (de)

Noun

fumble (plural fumbles)

1. (sports, American football, Canadian football) A ball etc. that has been dropped by accident.

Translations

ball that has been dropped

German: Fumble (de) m or n

Etymology 2

Blend of fool +‎ crumble.

Noun

fumble (plural fumbles)

1. (Britain) A dessert similar to a cross between a fool and a crumble.

Further reading

• fumble on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

1. Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.
2. Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “fumble”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
3. Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 2313