meddle

• POS: Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: med=dle

CIDE DICTIONARY

meddle, v. i. [OE. medlen to mix, OF. medler, mesler, F. mêler, LL. misculare, a dim. fr. L. miscere to mix. Mix, and cf. Medley, Mellay.].

•  To mix; to mingle.  [1913 Webster]

  "More to know
  Did never meddle with my thoughts."  [1913 Webster]
•  To interest or engage one's self; to have to do; -- in a good sense.  Barrow.  [1913 Webster]

  "Study to be quiet, and to meddle with your own business."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "Why shouldst thou meddle to thy hurt?"  [1913 Webster]

  "The civil lawyers . . . have meddled in a matter that belongs not to them."  [1913 Webster]

To meddle and make, to intrude one's self into another person's concerns. [Archaic] Shak.

Syn. -- To interpose; interfere; intermeddle.

meddle, v. t. 

 To mix; to mingle.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]
"“Wine meddled with gall.”"  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

meddle, v.intr. (often foll. by with, in) interfere in or busy oneself unduly with others' concerns.

Derivative

meddler n.

Etymology

ME f. OF medler, var. of mesler ult. f. L miscere mix

THESAURUS

meddle

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

ROGET THESAURUS

meddle

Activity

VB be active, busy oneself in, stir, stir about, stir one's stumps, bestir oneself, rouse oneself, speed, hasten, peg away, lay about one, bustle, fuss, raise up, kick up a dust, push, make a push, make a fuss, make a stir, go ahead, push forward, fight one's way, elbow one's way, make progress, toll, plod, persist, keep up the ball, keep the pot boiling, look sharp, have all one's eyes about one, rise, arouse oneself, hustle, get up early, be about, keep moving, steal a march, kill two birds with one stone, seize the opportunity, lose no time, not lose a moment, make the most of one's time, not suffer the grass to grow under one's feet, improve the shining hour, make short work of, dash off, make haste, do one's best take pains, do wonders, work wonders, have many irons in the fire, have one's hands full, have much on one's hands, have other things to do, have other fish to fry, be busy, not have a moment to spare, not have a moment that one can call one's own, have one's fling, run the round of, go all lengths, stick at nothing, run riot, outdo, overdo, overact, overlay, overshoot the mark, make a toil of a pleasure, have a hand in, take an active part, put in one's oar, have a finger in the pie, mix oneself up with, trouble, one's head about, intrigue, agitate, tamper with, meddle, moil, intermeddle, interfere, interpose, obtrude, poke one's nose in, thrust one's nose in.