intransitive. To dally, loiter; to spend time idly or frivolously; to waste time.

intransitive. In early use: To idle, waste one's time in idleness. Now only with more specific meaning: To linger indolently on the way when sent on…

intransitive. To be idly employed, be busy about trifles.

intransitive. To busy oneself idly, ‘fiddle’, trifle; to potter about. Now dialect.

in proverbial or allusive use, esp. in to pick a salad, (a) to be engaged in some trivial occupation, (b) to make a selection (out of). Obsolete.

to play the wanton (formerly also †the wantons, †the wanton's part): to dally, trifle; to behave lewdly or lasciviously; to flirt.

To make aimless or frivolous movements; esp. to play, toy about, at, on, over, with (a thing, rarely, a person); to act idly or frivolously. Also to f…

absol. To toy. Obsolete. rare.

intransitive. depreciative. To work or act in an ineffectual or wasteful way; to mess about or around.

intransitive. To spend time idly or frivolously; to linger, loiter; to delay.

intransitive. To spend time in trifling activities, to potter around; = piddle, v. 1a. rare.

intransitive. Chiefly Scottish. To work in a trifling or ineffectual way; to meddle or have to do with in a petty way; to waste time, dally. Obsolete.

intransitive. To dabble, to poke around or about in shallow water, mud, or dirt; to wallow in or wade through puddles or swampy ground. In…

to thrum caps: literal to cover caps with thrums; a proverbial phrase expressing trifling, or waste of work and time. Also to thrum buttons, and…

transitive or intransitive. To trifle (in some sense).

intransitive. To loiter, loaf; to slink off; to skulk around. Now regional (chiefly New England).

intransitive. To go poking about; to meddle; to dabble in something; to potter or puddle around. Now rare.

figurative. To employ oneself in a dilettante way in (any business or pursuit) without going deeply or seriously into it; to work off and on at…

intr. To trifle; to act wantonly. Also, to fanfreluche it.

intransitive. To idle, waste time; to be sluggish or lazy; to loiter, linger, dally.

intransitive. To linger, tarry, delay; to dally, loiter.

intransitive. To trifle, mess around; to act aimlessly or foolishly.

intransitive. To potter, trifle, ‘fiddle’; to fidget, fuss.

intransitive. To behave in a trifling way; to occupy oneself with trifles. Also: to engage with something in a cursory or ineffectual manner, to…

intransitive. To idle, trifle, gossip; to lounge about; to fritter away (time).

intransitive. To quibble or cavil about insignificant details; to fuss; (also) to busy oneself with unimportant matters or trivial tasks; to fritter…

intransitive. Without following adverb: to busy oneself in a confused, unmethodical, and ineffective manner. Now rare.

intransitive. Chiefly U.S. regional. To stroll or wander aimlessly; to idle, loiter. Frequently with around.

intransitive. To fiddle, toy, or fidget, esp. with the fingers; to busy oneself in a pointless manner. Also transitive: to fiddle with (the fingers…

intransitive. To potter about; to move or work in a desultory, ineffective, or dawdling way.

intransitive. To trifle, dally; to waste time in trifling activity. Also (occasionally) transitive: to fuss over, make a fuss of; to bestow trifles…

intransitive. To occupy oneself in an ineffectual or trifling way; to work or act in a feeble or desultory manner; to dabble in or with something…

intransitive. To idle; to busy oneself in an aimless, ineffectual or clumsy manner; to bungle. Often with about, round, or adverbial phrase as…

intransitive. = potter, v. 4a 5. Frequently with about, around, etc.

To work or move in a lazy fashion; to be undecided in plan or action; to vacillate, delay.

intransitive. = to fool around at phrasal verbs 1; esp. to behave in a frivolous, playful, or silly way; to muck about.

intransitive. To shirk work; to idle away one's time; to loiter, to loaf. With off: to leave in order to avoid a task.

intransitive. To talk or behave in an ineffectual way; to talk nonsense, to witter; to dither or fiddle. Also: to waste, to fritter away.

intransitive. To pass time in a pleasantly desultory way, with no definite aim or serious intent; to behave in a playful or frivolous way; to…

intransitive. colloquial. To behave in an aimless or desultory way (with); to act with no definite purpose or result; to act frivolously or teasingly.

intransitive. To work at something immaterial in a clumsy or makeshift way; to use trial and error to make gradual adjustments, esp. by way of…

intransitive. To have or adopt a socially unconventional, artistically inclined lifestyle, esp. while travelling; to live or behave like a…

intransitive. To pass the time in idle or unfocused activity; to work at something without definite purpose or serious intent; to mess about, tinker.

intransitive. To behave frivolously, to trifle. Also, to frivol away (money, time): to spend foolishly.

intransitive. To move in a lively fashion, hurry; to be restless or aimless; to wander around.

intransitive. To busy oneself in a confused, unmethodical, and ineffectual manner. Cf. muddle, v. 8. Obsolete. rare.

intransitive. to muddle about (also around): to behave in an aimless way, to act with no definite purpose.

Chiefly English regional, Australian, and New Zealand. intransitive. To behave in a lazy or slovenly way; to pass one's time aimlessly or idly; to…

intransitive. To tinker or toy with something, esp. in an attempt to make minor adjustments or improvements. Also with about, around.

intransitive. To dawdle aimlessly; to idle time away. Also with about, on.

intransitive. To mess about; to waste time.

intransitive. To mess about; to waste time.

intransitive. To move or work ineffectually or aimlessly; to potter about.

intransitive. To occupy oneself in an ineffectual or trifling way; to mess about, to waste time; to fiddle or tinker with something. Chiefly with a…

intransitive. colloquial (originally U.S.). To play mischievous or foolish tricks. Also: to fool or mess about or around; to tinker, tamper, or…

to arse about. intransitive. Also to arse around. To fool or mess about; to waste time. Cf. to ass around (or about) at ass, v. 2b.

intransitive. To behave in a playful or irresponsible manner; spec. to have a sexual relationship with, esp. casually or extramaritally.

intransitive. To mess about, play around; to waste time.

slang. To play around; to behave in an aimless or irresponsible manner.

Frequently used with euphemistic force. Const. about, around: to muck about, fool around (with). Const. off: to go away, make off.

To engage in trifling or frivolous work.

intransitive. colloquial = to muck about at phrasal verbs.

intransitive. To mess about, fool around.

intransitive. To lounge about; to waste time; to act ineffectually; to behave in a frivolous or stupid way. Also occasionally: to engage in a love…

intransitive. To lounge about; to waste time; to act ineffectually; to behave in a frivolous or stupid way; = to bugger about 2 at phrasal verbs 1.

intransitive. To mess about, waste time.

intransitive. To waste time; to act unproductively or with no aim or serious intent; to mess about. Cf. to fuck around 2a at fuck, v. phrasal…

colloquial (originally and chiefly North American). intransitive. To mess about; to pass time in a frivolous way, with no definite aim or serious…

intransitive. Usually with about, around. To pass the time in an ineffectual or useless manner; to fool or mess about. Cf. to fart about (or around)…

intransitive. to fanny around (or about): to mess around, waste time; to act in an unproductive or dithering manner. Cf. to fuck about 2a at fuck, v.…

colloquial. With about, around, etc.: to wander aimlessly, to move in a slovenly manner; to mess about.

intransitive. With around. To spend time frivolously or unproductively; to mess around, waste time.

intransitive. to twat around (or about): to mess about, fool around; to waste time. Cf. to fanny around (or about) at fanny, v.2

intransitive. To waste time; to act unproductively or with no aim or serious intent; to mess about; = to dick around 2 at phrasal verbs 1. Cf. to…