furtle

plural furtles

1. UKA cursory examination of the contents or details of something.

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

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

   2 more examples

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

   2005, Chloe Richards, Oops!, →ISBN, page 226

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

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

present singular third person furtles · participle present furtling · participle past furtled · past furtled

1. UKintransitiveTo gently delve; to probe or rummage tentatively.

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

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

   2 more examples

   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.

   2005, Carole Matthews, You Drive Me Crazy, →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

   2008, Peter Helton, Rainstone Fall, →ISBN