English Explanatory Dictionary

fumfer

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To speak awkwardly or evasively; to dither, waffle.
  2. To fiddle or fumble.

Pronunciation

/ˈfəmfər/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-fumfer.wav LL-Q1860 (eng)-JutishMale-fumfer.wav /ˈfʌmfə/

Word forms

fumfer fumfers fumfering fumfered phumpher fumper

Etymology

Borrowed from Yiddish פֿאָנפֿען (fonfen, “to speak with a nasal twang, to mumble”) + -er (frequentative suffix). First attested in 1954. Compare fumf.

Synonyms

fumfer mutter mouth mumble murmur feel around fumble scrabble fish forage scramble glaum grabble grope grubble poke

Related words

beat around the bush circumlocute prevaricate temporize tergiversate
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