furtle

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfɜːtəl/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfɝtəl/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)təl
• Homophones: firtle; (one US pronunciation) fertile

Noun

furtle (plural furtles)

1. (chiefly UK) A cursory examination of the contents or details of something.
   • 2005, Chloe Richards, Oops!, →ISBN, page 226:

     Then he looked back at his glossy, had a furtle with something in his pocket, and then looked back at me.

   • 2008, Iain M. Banks, chapter 8, in Matter, →ISBN:

     “Let me just have a quick furtle.” He dug his hand elbow-deep into the bag.

   • 2010, Stanley Challenger Graham, Stanley's View, Volume 6‎, →ISBN:

     It was so unusual that I went for another furtle in the 1881 census to find her family.

Verb

furtle (third-person singular simple present furtles, present participle furtling, simple past and past participle furtled)

1. (chiefly UK, intransitive) To gently delve; to probe or rummage tentatively.
   • 2005, Carole Matthews, You Drive Me Crazy‎, →ISBN:

     A burly mechanic wheeled in a bright yellow battery charger on a trolley, furtled under the bonnet and gave the car the full benefit of its volts.

   • 2008, Peter Helton, Rainstone Fall‎, →ISBN:

     Needham was already half-heartedly furtling about in the kitchen, opening cupboards without bothering to search them, letting his left hand trail over objects as though he was thinking with his fleshy fingers

   • 2011, Mark R. Faulkner, Flux, →ISBN, page 4:

     Furtling amongst the loose change and accumulated junk, he finally found what he was looking for.

Anagrams

• fluter