Piddlen

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To spend time on small, unimportant tasks without accomplishing much ; to urinate, an informal term used especially in speech to or about children
2. Dawdling over minor activities that achieve little ; a casual, childish way of saying to pass urine
3. Fussing away time on trifles with no real purpose ; a colloquial expression for relieving oneself by urinating

Etymology: "Piddlen" is a variant of the verb "piddle," meaning to dawdle over trifles, to fuss with small matters without getting anywhere. The verb is built on a playful, sound-based pattern: short, clipped syllables that suggest something small and unimportant, much like "piddling" and "puny." The "-en" ending is a verbal form found in several older English verbs, and it is what sets this spelling apart from the more common "piddle." The main thing to know is that the word's sense of small, fussy effort is its core meaning, and it has nothing to do with the sense "to urinate" that is more familiar today. That later, cruder use is a separate development from the same sound, and the two meanings are often confused because they share a spelling.