Revised 2003 More entries for "muddling"

muddlingnoun

Etymology
Meaning & use
Pronunciation
Frequency

Quotations

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Factsheet

What does the noun muddling mean?

There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun muddling. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

See meaning & use

How common is the noun muddling?

About 0.01occurrences per million words in modern written English

1810	0.0006
1820	0.0005
1830	0.0008
1840	0.0014
1850	0.0022
1860	0.0029
1870	0.0046
1880	0.0073
1890	0.011
1900	0.015
1910	0.018
1920	0.02
1930	0.021
1940	0.021
1950	0.02
1960	0.017
1970	0.014
1980	0.011
1990	0.01
2000	0.0098
2010	0.0092

See frequency

How is the noun muddling pronounced?

British English

/ˈmʌdl̩ɪŋ/

MUD-uhl-ing

/ˈmʌdlɪŋ/

MUD-ling

U.S. English

/ˈməd(ə)lɪŋ/

MUD-uh-ling

See pronunciation

Where does the noun muddling come from?

Earliest known use

mid 1700s

The earliest known use of the noun muddling is in the mid 1700s.

OED's earliest evidence for muddling is from 1769, in the writing of Elizabeth Griffith, playwright and writer.

It is also recorded as an adjective from the mid 1600s.

muddling is formed within English, by derivation.

Etymons: muddle v., ‑ing suffix1.

See etymology

Nearby entries

muddle-headed, adj.1760–
muddle-headedly, adv.1901–
muddleheadedness, n.1839–
muddlement, n.1857–
muddle-pate, n.1798–
muddle-pated, adj.1823–
muddler, n.1833–
muddle-room, n.1886–
muddlesome, adj.1887–
muddliness, n.1891–
muddling, n.1769–
muddling, adj.1649–
muddlingly, adv.1830–
muddly, adj.1829–
mud drum, n.1864–
mud duck, n.1857–
mud dweller, n.1881–
muddy, n.¹1800–06
muddy, n.³1953–
muddy, adj. & n.²c1450–
muddy, v.1604–

Browse more nearby entries

Etymology

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Entry history for muddling, n.

muddling, n. was revised in March 2003

muddling, n. was last modified in July 2023

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into muddling, n. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of muddling, n. were published in:

OED First Edition (1908)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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View muddling, n. in Second Edition

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Chicago

Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .

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MLA9

“” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, , .

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Citation details

Factsheet for muddling, n.

Browse entry

Nearby entries

muddle-headed, adj.1760–
muddle-headedly, adv.1901–
muddleheadedness, n.1839–
muddlement, n.1857–
muddle-pate, n.1798–
muddle-pated, adj.1823–
muddler, n.1833–
muddle-room, n.1886–
muddlesome, adj.1887–
muddliness, n.1891–
muddling, n.1769–
muddling, adj.1649–
muddlingly, adv.1830–
muddly, adj.1829–
mud drum, n.1864–
mud duck, n.1857–
mud dweller, n.1881–
muddy, n.¹1800–06
muddy, n.³1953–
muddy, adj. & n.²c1450–
muddy, v.1604–

Browse more nearby entries