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foozle

noun
foo·​zle | \ ˈfü-zÉ™l How to pronounce foozle (audio) \

Definition of foozle

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: an act of foozling especially : a bungling golf stroke

foozle

verb
foozled; foozling\ ˈfüz-​liÅ‹ How to pronounce foozling (audio) , ˈfü-​zÉ™-​ \

Definition of foozle (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to manage or play awkwardly : bungle
Synonyms What Foozle Means to Golfers Example Sentences Learn More about foozle

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What Foozle Means to Golfers

Verb

Foozle dates only to the late 19th century, but its origins are obscure. The German dialect verb fuseln ("to work carelessly") could figure in its history, but that speculation has never been proven. Not particularly common today, foozle still holds a special place in the hearts, minds, and vocabularies of many golfers. In golf, to foozle a shot is to bungle it and a foozle is a bungled shot. In a Century magazine piece from 1899 called "Two Players and their Play," Beatrice Hanscom reveals more of golf's specialized vocabulary:

She tops her ball; then divots fly; / In bunkers long she stays; / She foozles all along the course / In most astounding ways: / In sooth, it is an eery thing / The way Priscilla plays.

Examples of foozle in a Sentence

Verb

 foozled the attempt to move the couch into the apartment and tore the fabric on the arms

First Known Use of foozle

Noun

1890, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1888, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for foozle

Verb

perhaps from German dialect fuseln to work carelessly

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More from Merriam-Webster on foozle

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with foozle

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for foozle

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