noun
fingering an object to kill time; amusing oneself; diversion
Refers to handling or playing with something small to pass the time, or a light pastime. Often implies idle hands.
退屈で、机の上のペンを手慰みにいじっていた。
Bored, I was fiddling with a pen on the desk as a way to kill time.
編み物は彼女の手慰みだ。
Knitting is her diversion.
noun
A less common, somewhat old-fashioned or literary term for gambling, often with a nuance of casual or idle betting.
昔は手慰みに花札をしたものだ。
In the old days, people used to play hanafuda as a light gambling pastime.
Compound of 手 (hand) and 慰み (amusement, consolation). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word suggests amusement or distraction for the hands.