different between dunce vs noodle

English

Etymology

1530, named after John Duns Scotus (c. 1266–1308).

Scotus was ironically a well-known Scottish thinker. His followers, however, opposed the philosophers of the Renaissance, and thus "dunce" was first used to describe someone rejecting new knowledge in 1530; later, any stupid person.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?ns/
• Rhymes: -?ns

Noun

dunce (plural dunces)

1. An unintelligent person.

   Synonyms: idiot; see also Thesaurus:idiot

   • 1855, Robert Browning, “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”, XXX:

     [...] Dunce, / Dotard, a-dozing at the very nonce, / After a life spent training for the sight!

Derived terms

• dunce cap
• duncedom
• dunce hat
• duncehood
• duncelike
• duncely
• duncish/dunceish

Translations

Further reading

• “dunce”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.

References

English

Etymology

Its early plural form noodlejees suggests a Dutch origin; from Dutch noedel (“noodle”), from German Nudel (“piece of pasta, noodle”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from an alteration of German Knödel (“dumpling”), from German Knoten (“knot”) or from Latin minutulus (“very small, tiny”) in the sense of "to chop (food) into small pieces" or Latin nodulus (“little knot”). The senses "fool" and "brain, head" are probably unrelated.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nu?dl?/
• Rhymes: -u?d?l

Noun

noodle (plural noodles)

1. (usually in the plural) a string or strip of pasta

2. (colloquial, dated) a person with poor judgement; a fool
   • 1839, Sydney Smith, The Works of Sydney Smith : Preface

     the chuckling grin of noodles

   • 1854, Charles Dickens, Hard Times

     If that portrait could speak, sir — but it has the advantage over the original of not possessing the power of committing itself and disgusting others, — it would testify, that a long period has elapsed since I first habitually addressed it as the picture of a noodle.

3. (colloquial) the brain, the head
4. (colloquial) a pool noodle

Usage notes

In British English, noodle is chiefly used to describe Asian-style products comprising long, thin strands of dough. In American English, noodle can also refer to a range of European-style products which in British English would only be referred to as pasta.

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:noodle.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• pasta
• noddle
• Thesaurus:noodle

Verb

noodle (third-person singular simple present noodles, present participle noodling, simple past and past participle noodled)

1. To think or ponder.

2. To fiddle, play with, or mess around.

3. To improvise music.
4. (fishing) To fish (usually for very large catfish) without any equipment other than the fisherman's own body

6. (Australia) To fossick, especially for opals.
   • 1989, Association for Industrial Archaeology, Industrial archaeology review, Volume 12,

     On the Olympic Field the tour-group is permitted to ‘noodle’ (hunt for opals) on the waste or mullock heaps ...

   • 2006, Marele Day, Susan Bradley Smith, Fay Knight (editors), Making Waves: 10 Years of the Byron Bay Writers Festival ,

     We learn how Lennon used to noodle (fossick) for opal as a kid, how camels were for a long time the only form of transportation, and where the name 'Coober Pedy' came from.

Synonyms

• (fishing): guddle

Derived terms

• noodler

References

Anagrams

• Old One

Spanish

Noun

noodle m (plural noodles)

1. noodle (food)