verb
diddle
to molest someone sexually
The coach faces accusations of diddling children in his care.
Etymology
Earlier diddle had senses involving trifling, fiddling, or manipulating. The sexual sense is a later abusive extension; its deceptively playful wording does not lessen the harmful action it names.
More examples
- She says her uncle diddled her when she was young.
- He was arrested for diddling a patient during an examination.
- Calling sexual abuse “diddling” can make it sound less serious.
Forms
diddle · diddles · diddled · diddling