/'fʌmbl; `fʌmbl/
v
1 [I, Tn] touch or handle (sth) awkwardly or nervously （笨拙地或紧张地）摸索或处理（某事物）
*He fumbled the ball and then dropped it. 他笨手笨脚地漏接了球.
2 [Ipr] ~ at/for/with sth use the hands awkwardly in doing sth or in search of sth 笨手笨脚地做某事或寻找某物
*fumble in one's pocket for some coins 笨手笨脚地在口袋里摸索几枚硬币
* She fumbled with her notes and began to speak. 她手忙脚乱地翻找讲稿, 然後开始讲话.
* fumble for the light switch 摸索电灯开关
* (fig 比喻) fumble for the right thing to say 笨嘴拙舌地寻找恰当的话题.
3 [Ip] ~ about/around move about clumsily in doing sth or in search of sth 笨拙地四处乱走（做某事或寻找某物）
*fumbling around in the dark 在黑暗中瞎撞.

n [sing] act of fumbling 摸索; 笨拙的处理.

v
[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: Probably from a Scandinavian language]
alsofumble around [I and T]
to try to hold, move, or find something with your hands in an awkward way
fumble at/in/with
　She dressed, her cold fingers fumbling with the buttons.
fumble for
　I fumbled around in my bag for a cigarette.
　She reached round to fumble the light on.
[I and T]
if you fumble with your words when you are speaking, you have difficulty saying something
fumble for
　Asked for an explanation, Mike had fumbled for words.
　The second candidate fumbled her lines.
[I and T]
to drop a ball after catching it
　Quarterback Rattay was hit and fumbled the ball.
>fumblen[C]
>fumblingn[C]