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idling

   Also found in: Legal, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.02 sec.
i·dle  (dl)
adj. i·dler, i·dlest
1.
a. Not employed or busy: idle carpenters. See Synonyms at inactive.
b. Avoiding work or employment; lazy: shiftless, idle youth. See Synonyms at lazy.
c. Not in use or operation: idle hands.
2. Lacking substance, value, or basis. See Synonyms at baseless, vain.
v. i·dled, i·dling, i·dles
v.intr.
1. To pass time without working or while avoiding work.
2. To move lazily and without purpose.
3. To run at a slow speed or out of gear. Used of a motor vehicle.
v.tr.
1. To pass (time) without working or while avoiding work; waste: idle the afternoon away.
2. To make or cause to be unemployed or inactive.
3. To cause (a motor, for example) to idle.
n.
1. A state of idling. Used of a motor vehicle: an engine running quietly at idle.
2. A mechanism for regulating the speed at which an engine runs at rest: set the idle higher to keep the motor from stalling.

[Middle English idel, from Old English del.]

idle·ness n.
idler (dlr) n.
idly adv.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.idlingidling - having no employment                
inactivity - being inactive; being less active
dolce far niente - carefree idleness

idling
noun
loafing, resting, drifting, pottering, taking it easy, dawdling I'm not very good at idling.
adjective
failing, declining, tiring, sinking, flagging, fading, slowing down, deteriorating, faltering, wilting, waning, ebbing She attempted to jumpstart her idling singing career.


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
But my excellent parent went on lecturing, and then came to coaxing, and began to stroke my hair; and I was getting to feel quite a good boy, but my mischievous brother, who was idling about the room, revived my corruption by suddenly calling out, -
The meads were changing now; but it was still warm enough in early afternoons before milking to idle there awhile, and the state of dairy-work at this time of year allowed a spare hour for idling.
I'm not one for idling, and it gives me the fidgets to be there and do nothing all day long, so I said to 'Erb, I'm just going to get up and cook your dinner for you.
 
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