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Muddle

//ˈmʌdl̩// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A mixture; a confusion; a garble.

    "The muddle of nervous speech he uttered did not have much meaning."

  2. 2
    A servant's attendant; underservant. India, historical

    "We bought a few rugs and odds and ends and our sitting room looks quite European; then we have a bedroom with 2 beds and a dressing room, also a corridor for the muddles and servants."

  3. 3
    informal terms for a difficult situation wordnet
  4. 4
    A mixture of crushed ingredients, as prepared with a muddler.
  5. 5
    a confused multitude of things wordnet
Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    A muddy mess. archaic

    "I must drive as quick with a thunder-rain pelting in my face, and the roads in a muddle, and the horses starting—I can’t call it shying, I have ’em too well in hand,—at every flash, just as quick as if it was a fine hard road, and fine weather."

Verb
  1. 1
    To mix together, to mix up; to confuse.

    "Young children tend to muddle their words."

  2. 2
    mix up or confuse wordnet
  3. 3
    To mash slightly for use in a cocktail.

    "He muddled the mint sprigs in the bottom of the glass."

  4. 4
    make into a puddle wordnet
  5. 5
    To dabble in mud.

    "c. 1721-1722, Jonathan Swift, The Progress of Marriage Young ducklings foster'd by a hen; But, when let out, they run and muddle"

Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    To make turbid or muddy.

    "He did ill to Muddle the Water."

  2. 7
    To think and act in a confused, aimless way.
  3. 8
    To cloud or stupefy; to render stupid with liquor; to intoxicate partially.

    "Their old master Epicurus seems to have had his brains so muddled and confounded with them, that he scarce ever kept in the right way."

  4. 9
    To waste or misuse, as one does who is stupid or intoxicated.

    "They muddle it [money] away without method or object, and without having anything to show for it."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English modelen (attested in present participle modeland (“wallowing”)), from Middle Dutch moddelen (“to make muddy”), from modde, mod (“mud”) (Modern Dutch modder). By surface analysis, mud + -le. Compare German Kuddelmuddel.

Etymology 2

From Middle English modelen (attested in present participle modeland (“wallowing”)), from Middle Dutch moddelen (“to make muddy”), from modde, mod (“mud”) (Modern Dutch modder). By surface analysis, mud + -le. Compare German Kuddelmuddel.

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