Adjacent Words

Meddle definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

MED'DLE, v.i.
1. To have to do; to take part; to interpose and act in the concerns of others, or in affairs in which one's interposition is not necessary; often with the sense of intrusion or officiousness.
I have thus far been an upright judge, not meddling with the design nor disposition.
What hast thou to do to meddle with the affairs of my family?
Why should'st thou meddle to thy hurt? 2 Kings 14.
2. To have to do; to touch; to handle. Meddle not with edge-tools, is an admonition to children. When the object is specified, meddle is properly followed by with or in; usually by the former.
The civil lawyers--have meddled in a matter that belongs not to them.
MED'DLE, v.t. To mix, to mingle.
He meddled his talk with many a tear.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: intrude in other people's affairs or business; interfere unwantedly; "Don't meddle in my affairs!" [syn: meddle, tamper]

Merriam Webster's

intransitive verb (meddled; meddling) Etymology: Middle English medlen, from Anglo-French mesler, medler, from Vulgar Latin *misculare, from Latin misc?re to mix — more at mix Date: 14th century to interest oneself in what is not one's concern ; interfere without right or propriety • meddler noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.intr. (often foll. by with, in) interfere in or busy oneself unduly with others' concerns. Derivatives: meddler n. Etymology: ME f. OF medler, var. of mesler ult. f. L miscere mix

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Meddle Med"dle, v. t. To mix; to mingle. [Obs.] --Chaucer. ``Wine meddled with gall.'' --Wyclif (Matt. xxvii. 34).

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Meddle Med"dle`, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Meddled; p. pr. & vb. n. Meddling.] [OE. medlen to mix, OF. medler, mesler, F. m[^e]ler, LL. misculare, a dim. fr. L. miscere to mix. ? See Mix, and cf. Medley, Mellay.] 1. To mix; to mingle. [Obs.] More to know Did never meddle with my thoughts. --Shak. 2. To interest or engage one's self; to have to do; -- ? a good sense. [Obs.] --Barrow. Study to be quiet, and to meddle with your own business. --Tyndale. 3. To interest or engage one's self unnecessarily or impertinently, to interfere or busy one's self improperly with another's affairs; specifically, to handle or distrub another's property without permission; -- often followed by with or in. Why shouldst thou meddle to thy hurt? --2 Kings xiv. 10. The civil lawyers . . . have meddled in a matter that belongs not to them. --Locke. To meddle and make, to intrude one's self into another person's concerns. [Archaic] --Shak. Syn: To interpose; interfere; intermeddle.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(meddles, meddling, meddled) If you say that someone meddles in something, you are criticizing the fact that they try to influence or change it without being asked. Already some people are asking whether scientists have any right to meddle in such matters... If only you hadn't felt compelled to meddle. ...the inept and meddling bureaucrats. = interfere VERB: V in/with n, V, V-ing [disapproval] • meddler (meddlers) They view activists as little more than meddlers. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. n. Interfere, intermeddle, interpose.

Moby Thesaurus

Paul-Pry, advise, advocate, arrest, bottle up, brief, busybody, butt in, check, coach, confer, consult with, counsel, countercheck, curb, dam up, damp, dampen, delay, detain, direct, fool, fool with, guide, hinder, hold back, hold in check, hold up, horn in, impede, inhibit, instruct, intercept, interfere, interlope, intermeddle, interrupt, intervene, intrude, invade, keep back, keep in check, kibitz, make, meddle with, mess around, mess with, monkey with, nose, obtrude, oppose, peek, peep, prescribe, propose, pry, recommend, repress, resist, restrain, retard, scotch, set back, slacken, snoop, snub, spy, submit, suggest, suppress, tamper, tamper with, trespass