idleadj.n.
/ˈʌɪd(ə)l/ A. adj.† 1. Empty, vacant; void (of). Obsolete.† 7. In quasi-adv. use = idly adv. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > place > absence > fact of being unoccupied > [adjective] > empty
idlec825
toomOE
lankc1000
emptyOE
leera1250
i-lerc1275
vain1382
void1390
bare1399
vacanta1400
i-voidec1415
hollow1600
vake1600
clear1607
inane1662
blank1748
viduous1855
unchargeda1861
c825 Vesp. Psalter cvi[i]. 9 Forðon gereorde sawle idle [L. satiavit animam inanem].
OE Beowulf 2888 Londrihtes mot..monna æghwylc idel hweorfan.
c1000 Ælfric Homilies II. 582 To hwan mæg ðis eorðlice hus gif hit ydel stent?
c1200 Vices & Virtues 23 Wuten we fare to ðessere idele saule and amti.
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 158 To se [read hwamse] is idel of god.
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 131 He is uol of zennes, and ydel of alle guode.
a1425 (c1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) Gen. i. 2 The erthe was idel [1382 veyn with ynne] and voide [L. inanis et vacua].
c1450 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi iii. xxvii. 97 I am idel erþe & voide, til þou illumyne me.
2. † b. Void of meaning or sense; foolish, silly, incoherent; also (of persons) light-headed, out of one's mind, delirious (cf. idle-headed adj.). Obsolete.
a. Of actions, feelings, thoughts, words, etc.: Void of any real worth, usefulness, or significance; leading to no solid result; hence, ineffective, worthless, of no value, vain, frivolous, trifling. Also said of persons in respect of their actions, etc.In Old English, and early Middle English, frequent in idle yelp, boasting, vain-glory: see yelp n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > foolishness, folly > giddiness, empty-headedness > [adjective]
idlec825
giddyc1000
volage?a1366
apec1370
foolisha1382
vain1390
idleful1483
volageous1487
glaikit1488
cock-brained1530
apish1532
empty1550
sillyc1555
frivolous?1563
tickle-headed1583
light-braineda1593
frothy1593
owlish1596
bird-witted1605
empty-headed1614
idle-headed1614
empty-pateda1628
marmosetical1630
grollish1637
feather-headed1647
nonsense1647
whirl-crowned1648
feather-brained1649
swimmering1650
soft-pated1651
weather-headeda1652
shuttlecock1660
drum-headed1664
chicken-brained1678
halokit1724
desipient1727
shatter-pated1727
scattered-brained1747
light-thoughted1777
scatter-brained1804
shandy-pated1806
hellicat1815
feather-pated1819
inane1819
weather-brained1826
bubble-headed1827
tomfoolish1838
bird-brained1892
tottle1894
fluffy1898
scatty1911
wandery1912
scattery1924
twitterpated1943
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > uselessness, vanity, or futility > [adjective]
idlec825
unnuteOE
bricklec1225
tooma1250
unnaita1250
vaina1300
waste1303
overvoida1382
voida1382
superfluec1384
daylessa1387
unbehovely1390
unprofitablea1398
unbehoveful1429
wastefulc1450
idleful1483
fruster1488
vainful1509
frustrate?a1513
superfluousa1533
addle1534
lost1535
fittle1552
futilea1575
nugatory1605
futilous1607
shiftless1613
tympanous1625
emptya1628
frustraneousa1643
pointless1673
futilitous1765
otiose1795
stultificatory1931
c825 Vesp. Psalter xciii[i]. 11 Dryhten wat geðohtas monna forðon idle sind.
c950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xii. 36 Eghuelc word idil [L. otiosum] þæt sprecende biðon menn [etc.].
c1000 Ælfric Leviticus xxvi. 20 Eall eower geswinc bið idel.
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 129 On unnitte speche, and on iuele dede, and on idel þonc.
a1300 Cursor Mundi 28338 Idel gammes, chess and tablis.
c1374 G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Cambr.) ii. pr. vii. 46 Yif yt be for the audience of poeple and for idil rumours.
c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 258/1 Idyl spekare, vanidicus.
1576 W. Lambarde Perambulation of Kent 206 Beda speaketh there of the Northeast mouth of the floud Genlade: whiche speache of his were ydle, if that water had none other mouthe but that one.
1576 A. Fleming tr. C. Plinius Novocomensis in Panoplie Epist. 245 He is no idle talker.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Timon of Athens (1623) iv. iii. 27 No Gods, I am no idle Votarist. View more context for this quotation
1617 F. Moryson Itinerary ii. 47 The Schoolemens idle and absurd distinctions.
1709 J. Swift Project Advancem. Relig. 8 It is Idle to propose Remedies before we are assur'd of the Disease.
1801 M. Edgeworth Prussian Vase in Moral Tales III. 27 He did not..waste his time in idle conjectures.
1857 H. T. Buckle Hist. Civilisation Eng. I. xiii. 745 To argue against these opinions would be idle indeed.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > weakness of intellect > madness, extreme folly > [adjective]
woodc900
madc1300
wild1515
hare-brained1548
idle1548
harish1552
frantic1561
hare-brain1566
lunatic1571
lunatical1599
datelessa1686
flaky1964
tonto1982
the world > health and disease > mental health > mental illness > degree or type of mental illness > [adjective] > delirious or raving
wedingc725
lighta1500
light-headeda1500
ravinga1525
raving mad1541
frenetical1548
idle1548
delirant1600
deliring1600
frenetic1609
phrenitic1649
delirous1656
delirious1670
deliriate1689
rambling1700
straggle-brained1725
allochoos1811
ravers1938
1548 Hall's Vnion: Richard III f. xlvv He..beganne a lytle to waxe ydle and weake in his wyt and remembraunce.
1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VIII f. ccxixv She semed to bee in Traunses, and spake and vttered many foolishe and Idle woordes.
a1639 T. Dekker et al. Witch of Edmonton (1658) iv. ii. 46 Kat. Why do you talk so? Would you were fast asleep. Frank. No, no, I'm not idle.
1658 W. Johnson tr. F. Würtz Surgeons Guid iii. ii. 223 A patient that sleepeth much, and is idle withal in his sleep.
c. Without foundation: baseless, groundless.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > lack of reason, irrationality > [adjective] > not based on reason
hoflesc1175
unreasonablec1384
fantastica1387
disreasonablec1550
reasonless1556
idle1590
alogical1603
groundless1620
irrational1641
unreasonal1650
adoxal1652
irrationable1657
unreasoning1682
untoward1682
unfaceablea1825
aberrational1837
non-rational1859
irrationalistic1910
a bit hot1925
arational1935
1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. xii. sig. L8 When they came, where that dead Dragon lay..The sight with ydle feare did them dismay.
1617 F. Moryson Itinerary ii. 235 The bruite that they should have come for Ireland was idle.
1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. vi. 153 He declared that Barillon must have been imposed upon by idle or malicious reports.
1878 R. Browning La Saisiaz 433 Idle hopes that lure man onward, forced back by as idle fears.
3.
a. Of things: Serving no useful purpose, useless.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > [adjective] > useless or needless
idlec897
needlessc1300
over-vaina1382
unrequisite1593
unrequired1702
forbearable1803
otiose1837
c897 K. Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care xviii. 129 Ðær ðæt heafod bið unhal, eall ða limu bioð idelu, ðeah hie hal sien.
OE Genesis 106 Þes wida grund stod..idel and unnyt.
?1566 J. Alday tr. P. Boaistuau Theatrum Mundi sig. R iv As touching the eares, they are not idell, they are placed..hie and eminent for to receyve the sounde that naturally is borne hie.
1597 J. Gerard Herball i. 81 Out of the hole commeth a small idle or barren chaffie eare like vnto that of Darnell.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) ii. ii. 181 Vsurping Iuie, Brier, or idle Mosse. View more context for this quotation
1692 J. Ray Dissol. World (1732) 124 Which are no idle or useless Part.
1744 J. Thomson Autumn in Seasons (new ed.) 148 Caught in the meshy Snare, in vain they beat Their idle Wings, intangled more and more.
1864 B. Disraeli Revolutionary Epick (rev. ed.) ii. xxii. 106 The idle shells On silent shores that none regard.
b. (See quot. 1956.)
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > order > disorder > confusion or disorder > untidiness > [adjective]
untidya1375
unred1528
sluttish?1529
untrimmed?1529
untrick1570
untrim1570
shevelled1613
hirsute1621
incompta1628
messy1627
unneat1648
tawdry1672
slattern1680
bunting1759
untrig1821
sloggering1825
slummocking1825
scrambling1826
poucey1829
anyhow1831
mullocky1839
ragtail1846
mussy1859
slubbery1880
unshipshape1883
mussed1888
slummocky1898
ruggy1929
idle1956
1956 J. Masters Bugles & Tiger ii. 46 The word ‘idle’ meant anything the staff considered unsoldierly. We were idle; we had idle haircuts, idle rifles, idle bicycles; we did idle salutes, idle jumps.
1959 News Chron. 4 Aug. 1/4 ‘Idle’ is a Brigade [of Guards] adjective that describes everything that is not perfection in execution. A bootlace undone is an idle bootlace.
1963 D. Walder Bags of Swank vi. 65 Ransome looked at the lecturer's hip pocket now revealed as undone. ‘Idle and naked,’ he said loudly to Lilburne.
4. † b. idle from, not engaged in, free from. Obsolete.
a. Of persons: Not engaged in work, doing nothing, unemployed. Frequently in the idle rich.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > idleness, lack of occupation or activity > [adjective]
idlec950
tooma1340
unoccupiedc1405
void1530
restyc1540
unbusied1570
idlefula1652
haking1703
unbusy1731
otiose1850
non-employed1853
society > occupation and work > lack of work > [adjective] > not working or unemployed > doing nothing or idle
idlec950
workless?a1450
gold-bricking1919
the mind > possession > wealth > [noun] > rich or wealthy person > rich who do not need to work
the idle rich1865
c950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xx. 6 Hwæt her stondes ge allen dæge idlo? [c975 Rushw. Gosp. unnytte. c1000 Ags. Gosp. idele].
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 36 Lokeð swa ich bidde ou. þet ȝe ne beon neauer idel.
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 206 Huo þet is ydel he him may naȝt longe hyalde þet he ne ualle in-to zenne.
c1450 Mirour Saluacioun 759 To devocionne evre and Contemplacionne Was sho gyven and nevre ydel.
1530–1 Act 22 Hen. VIII c. 12 To arest the sayde vacaboundes and ydell persones.
1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VIII f. cxixv They were neuer idle but doyng some thyng in one part or other.
1603 R. Johnson tr. G. Botero Hist. Descr. Worlde 179 The greater part of his men and horses were idle.
1764 R. Burn Hist. Poor Laws 143 They are idle for want of such work as they are able to do.
1865 J. S. Mill Auguste Comte 160 He allows of no idle rich.
1894 J. T. Fowler in St. Adamnan Vita S. Columbae Introd. 74 He could not bear to be idle even for an hour.
1900 B. Matthews Confident To-morrow 178 Mr. Dircks wishes to shift the burdens of the worthy poor upon the shoulders of the idle rich.
1926 Encycl. Brit. I. 527/1 We must remember as a rule the ‘idle rich’ do not represent idle riches.
1928 F. N. Hart Bellamy Trial i. 15 He's magnificent when he gets started on the idle rich.
1938 Times Lit. Suppl. 11 June 403/3 The crew, Reds of various shades, mutiny and drive ashore the idle-rich passengers.
1960 C. Day Lewis Buried Day viii. 171 The idle rich, the boss class, fleeing..from the wrath to come.
1964 J. M. Argyle Psychol. & Social Probl. xv. 185 There has been a decline of the old ‘idle rich’ upper middle class, living partly on unearned income and passing on wealth and advantages to its children.
1971 Daily Tel. 20 Oct. 10/4 More than 25,000 Coventry workers were idle yesterday as a result of the dispute.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > idleness, lack of occupation or activity > [adjective] > not engaged with something
idle fromc1380
unengaged1712
unengaged1805
c1380 J. Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 359 For þei..ben y-dil fro many goode dedes.
c1450 Jacob's Well (1900) 238 Þei were hyȝe in pride, & ydel fro gostly occupacyoun.
c. Of things, esp. time: Unoccupied; characterized by inaction or want of occupation. idle bread = bread of idleness (idleness n. 4).
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > idleness, lack of occupation or activity > [adjective] > characterized by lack of occupation
idle1297
vacant1615
vacuous1872
1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 4020 Þat ydel lif þat þine men abbeþ ylad.
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Prov. xxxi. 27 Idil bred she eet not [L. panem otiosa non comedit].
1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection iii. sig. OOOvv All my ydell yeres & dayes.
a1586 Sir P. Sidney Apol. Poetrie (1595) sig. B1v In these my..idelest times.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Julius Caesar (1623) ii. i. 116 Breake off betimes, And euery man hence, to his idle bed. View more context for this quotation
1617 F. Moryson Itinerary ii. 1 In which place..whilest I passed an idle yeere [etc.]
1700 T. Brown Amusem. Serious & Comical v. 48 Persons..that have a great deal of Idle Time lying upon their Hands.
1783 W. Cowper Epit. on Hare 31 Dozing out all his idle noons.
1850 T. Carlyle Latter-day Pamphlets i. 47 Locking you up in temporary Idle Workhouses.
1870 E. Peacock Ralf Skirlaugh III. 234 Plough-Monday was an idle day.
d. idle worms n. worms humorously said to breed in the fingers of the idle.
ΚΠ
Cf. 1597 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet i. iv. 67 A little worme, Pickt [later edd. prickt] from the lasie finger of a maide [Quartos 2–5 and Folio 1, man, Folios 2, 3, 4, woman].]
1607 F. Beaumont Woman Hater iii. i. sig. E1 Keepe thy hands: in thy muffe, and warme the idle wormes in thy fingers ends.
5.
a. Of things: Inactive, unoccupied, not moving or in operation.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > [adjective]
undiscurrent1509
idlec1522
sleepinga1538
silent1583
unactive1599
passive1604
quiescent1605
torpid1613
quieta1616
inactive1641
actionless1645
slumbering1706
slumberous1809
non-acting1838
supine1843
c1522 T. More Treat. Memorare Nouissima in Wks. (1557) I. 75 Mans mind is neuer ydle, but occupyed commonly either with good or euil.
1576 A. Fleming tr. Erasmus in Panoplie Epist. 350 All the Elementes and other celestiall bodies..are never ydle, but still occupied.
1655 T. Moffett & C. Bennet Healths Improvem. iii. 18 As a standing water corrupteth in a little space: so an idle aire rouled about with no winds soon putrfieth.
1715 I. Watts Divine Songs 29 Satan finds some Mischief still For idle Hands to do.
1822 J. M. Good Study Med. I. 413 Peruvian bark..is not an idle medicine; for if it do not assist, it will be sure to injure.
1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. vi. 85 The power which the courts of law had thus recognised was not suffered to lie idle.
1877 R. W. Raymond Statistics Mines & Mining 302 The mine..was idle for the first six months of the year.
1898 Daily News 18 June 3/1 We don't keep the pits idle for the fun of the thing.
b. Of machinery. to run idle, to run loose, without doing work or transmitting power. idle wheel n. (also idle-wheel) †(a) a safety-wheel to come into operation in case of the ordinary wheel breaking down; (b) an intermediate wheel used for connecting two geared wheels when they cannot be brought sufficiently near to gear directly, or when it is necessary that the ‘follower’ should revolve in the same direction as the ‘leader’, which would not be the case if they geared directly. idle pulley, the loose pulley of the ‘fast-and-loose pulley’ arrangement.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > machines which impart power > engine > [adjective] > idling
idle1805
idling1936
society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > parts of machines > wheel > [noun] > other wheels
well wheel1535
rundle1611
rown-wheel1688
walking wheel1730
side wheel1731
tirl1793
rigger1797
idle wheel1805
vane1842
Gypsy1850
air wheel1860
wind-wheel1867
sprocket1879
friction-wheel1888
Geneva wheel1891
idler1899
society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > parts of machines > wheel > [noun] > cog or gear > intermediate
idle wheel1805
Marlborough wheel1841
idler1875
society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > render mechanical [verb (intransitive)] > of machine: operate > idle
to run idle1873
society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > parts of machines > parts which provide power > [noun] > pulleys
pulleya1586
tension-roller1835
idle pulley1873
jockey-pulley1893
1805 W. Milton Specif. Patent 2890 As near..to each active wheel as a workman may think proper, low, strong idle wheels..are to be placed..ready in case of an active wheel coming off, or breaking, or an axle-tree failing, to catch the falling vehicle.
1842 R. Willis Princ. Mechanism 205 If a wheel A be placed between two other wheels C and B it will not affect the velocity ratio of those wheels..but it does affect the directional relation; for..in consequence of the introduction of the intermediate axis of A, B and C will revolve in the same direction. Such an intermediate wheel is termed an idle wheel.
1873 C. P. B. Shelley Workshop Appliances (1885) 187 The wheel which is always in gear with the pinion is brought also into gear with the backshaft wheel, the second wheel running idle.
1873 C. P. B. Shelley Workshop Appliances (1885) 239 The central pulley is ‘idle’, that is to say it runs loose upon the shaft.
1875 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. II. 1171/2 Another description of idle-wheel..is [a wheel] caused to rest upon a belt to tighten it, to perfect its adhesion to the band-wheels over which it runs.
1884 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockmakers' Handbk. (new ed.) 124 An idle wheel introduced causes the follower to rotate in the same direction as the driver.
c. Of a wire on an armature: having no electromotive force induced in it. Of a component of an alternating current: 90° out of phase with respect to the voltage; wattless, reactive.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electricity > electrical engineering > armature > [adjective] > without electromotive force
idle1884
the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electricity > electric current > alternating current > [adjective] > not > with respect to wattage
idle1884
1884 S. P. Thompson Dynamo-electr. Machinery iii. 33 Where the coils are working in series, it has been considered advantageous to arrange the commutator to cut out the coil that is in the position of least action, as the circuit is thereby relieved of the resistance of an idle coil.
1884 S. P. Thompson Dynamo-electr. Machinery vii. 126 The advantage originally claimed for this construction, namely, that it allows less of the total length of wire to remain ‘idle’ on the inner side of the ring, is rather imaginary than real.
1894 W. P. Maycock Electric Lighting & Power Distrib. (ed. 2) i. vi. 155 Those portions of the wire on an armature, as well as those parts at the end which slip between, but do not cut lines of force, are often called idle wire.
1904 R. M. Walmsley Electr. in Service of Man ii. vi. 1069 This current..contributes nothing to the power, and is therefore often referred to as the idle current.
1904 G. F. Goodchild & C. F. Tweney Technol. & Sci. Dict. 301/2 Idle or Wattless Current.
1904 G. F. Goodchild & C. F. Tweney Technol. & Sci. Dict. s.v. Idle Coil In certain forms of armature a coil may at a given instant have no induced electromotive force acting in it; it is then termed an Idle Coil.
1908 W. Slingo & A. Brooker Electr. Engin. (new ed.) ix. 354 The portions connecting the horizontal limbs are always idle, inasmuch as they do not cut, but only slide through, the lines of force.
d. Of money: out of circulation.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > circulation of money > [adjective] > not in circulation
uncurrenta1616
idle1931
uncirculated1938
1931 Times Lit. Suppl. 19 Feb. 124/2 It may be thought that saving cannot exceed investment because idle money automatically becomes the basis of bank credit.
1965 A. Seldon & F. G. Pennance Everyman's Dict. Econ. at Dishoarding A distinction is made between ‘active’ money in circulation and financing current transactions and ‘inactive’ money held in idle balances.
6. Addicted to doing no work; lazy, indolent. †idle bellies, indolent sluggards or gluttons (cf. Titus i. 12).
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > disinclination to act or listlessness > sloth or laziness > [adjective]
sweerc725
foridledc1230
idlea1300
faintc1325
recrayed1340
slewful1340
nicea1398
sleuthya1400
delicate?c1400
sleuthfulc1400
slothfulc1400
sloth1412
lurdanc1480
luskinga1500
luskish15..
droning1509
bumbard?a1513
slottery1513
desidiousa1540
lazy1549
slovening1549
truanta1550
sleuth1567
litherly1573
truantly1579
dronish1580
lubberly1580
truant-like1583
shiftless1584
sluggard1594
fat1598
lusky1604
sweatless1606
clumse1611
easeful1611
loselly1611
do-littlea1613
sluggardisha1627
pigritious1638
drony1653
murcid1656
thokisha1682
shammockinga1704
indolent1710
huddroun1721
nothing-doing1724
desidiose1727
lusk1775
slack-twisted1794
sweert1817
bone-lazya1825
lurgy1828
straight-backed1830
do-nothing1832
slobbish1833
bone idle1836
slouch1837
lotophagous1841
shammocky1841
bein1847
thoky1847
lotus-eating1852
fainéant1855
sluggardly1865
lazy-boned1875
do-naught1879
easy-going1879
lazyish1892
slobbed1962
the world > action or operation > inaction > disinclination to act or listlessness > sloth or laziness > [noun] > lazy person > group of
idle bellies1530
the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > excessive consumption of food or drink > [noun] > gluttony > glutton > lazy
draffsackc1405
idle bellies1530
belly-gut1540
lazy-gut1631
a1300 Cursor Mundi 27238 Yong man idel, and ald man dill.
1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomew de Glanville De Proprietatibus Rerum (1495) vi. xvi. 200 He is slowe and ydle and lesyth in ydlenes the tyme that is graunted to traueylle in.
1530 Compend. Olde Treat. To Rdr. sig. Av Ye ydle bellyes wolde haue had leyser I nowgh to put forth a nother well translatyd.
1634 J. Canne Necessitie of Separation v. 221 The Dumb dogs, Caterpillers, and idle bellies never had a better Proctor than this.
1726 G. Shelvocke Voy. round World ii. 28 They were..very idle, and there was no driving them faster.
1828 W. Scott Fair Maid of Perth ii, in Chron. Canongate 2nd Ser. II. 59 The Prince is unhappily a dissipated and idle youth.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [adverb] > insubstantially > frivolously
idlec1330
frivolously1611
whifflingly1668
knick-knackically1749
flimsily1787
c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) l. 7102 ‘Sir erl’, quaþ Gij, ‘þer-of speke nouȝt: Al idel þou hast me þer-of bisouȝt’.
a1425 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Galba) l. 28991 If þat ȝerning idell be, for idell prayand tald er we.
1663 S. Pepys Diary 29 Oct. (1971) IV. 356 The Queene mends apace they say; but yet talks idle still.
B. n. (absolute use of the adjective)† 1. † b. in (earlier on, an) idle: In vain; without result; without cause (cf. idleness n. 1). Obsolete.† 2. † 3. An idle person, idler. Obsolete.
a. That which is useless, vain, or frivolous. Obsolete. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > uselessness, vanity, or futility > [noun] > that which is
idlec1000
vanityc1230
vainc1330
futility1667
c1000 Canons of Edgar c. 26 in B. Thorpe Anc. Laws Eng. (1840) II. 250 Ne idele spræce ne idele dæde..ne æfre ænig idel.
c1000 Sax. Leechd. III. 214 gif þu gesihst manega get [= goats] ydel getacnað.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 153 Opene to behalden idel and unnet.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > uselessness, vanity, or futility > in vain [phrase]
in (or on) idlenessc825
in (earlier on, an) idlec1000
in idleshipa1250
in vaina1300
over tomeheda1300
(all) for noughtc1300
in waste1340
in deveyn(ec1400
to little availc1450
without availc1450
in fruster1488
to good (also great, some, little, no, etc.) purpose1525
for nothing1560
sans fail1597
for vaina1616
c1000 Ælfric Leviticus xxvi. 16 On idel ge swincaþ.
c1000 Ælfric Deut. v. 11 Ne nemne ge drihtnes naman on idel.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 12514 Onn idell & wiþþ utenn ned. & alls he wollde leȝȝkenn.
1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 3071 It nis an ydel noȝt þat ich telle þis tydinge.
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Prov. xxiv. 28 Be thou not a witnesse in idil [a1425 L.V. with out resonable cause] aȝen thi neȝhebore.
c1386 G. Chaucer Parson's Tale ⁋522 Euery man that taketh goddes name in ydel, or falsly swereth with his mouth.
a1500 Ragman Roll 80 in W. C. Hazlitt Remains Early Pop. Poetry Eng. (1864) I. 73 Al in ydel here is thy labour.
a. Idleness. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > idleness, lack of occupation or activity > [noun]
idlea1000
idlenessc1000
emptinessOE
idlelaikc1175
idleheada1325
idleship1357
otiosity1483
idlehoodc1540
idleteth1584
idleset1591
fallownessa1594
vacantry1598
vacancy1615
lurgy1769
inanity1782
inoccupation1783
vacuity1817
a1000 in Kemble Sal. & Sat. (1848) 258 Þe slep & þæt ydel fet unþeawas & unhælo þæs lichoman.
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 296 Idel akeldeð & acwencheð þis fur.
1465 J. Russe in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) II. 308 A day lost in jdyll can neuer be recoueryd.
1606 J. Sylvester tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. (new ed.) ii. iv. 77 His brains rich Talent buries not in Idle.
b. plural the idles n. idleness as an affection or distemper. colloquial.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > [noun] > torpor or sluggishness > idleness
idle1616
1616 Withals' Dict. 558 Hodie nullam lineam duxi, I have beene sicke of the idles to day.
1681 W. Robertson Phraseologia generalis (1693) 753 Sick of the Idles.
c. [ < idle v.] The act of idling.
ΚΠ
1883 G. M. Fenn Middy & Ensign xxiv. 142 A good idle ashore would be very pleasant.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > disinclination to act or listlessness > sloth or laziness > [noun] > lazy person > an idler or loafer
lurdanc1330
player1340
moochera1425
loon?c1450
lounger?a1513
idler1534
rest man1542
holiday-woman1548
baty bummill1568
bummill baty1568
friar-fly?1577
idol1579
lingerer1579
loll1582
idleby1589
shit-rags1598
blaitie bum1602
idle1635
Lollard1635
loiterer1684
saunterer1688
scobberlotchera1697
bumble1786
quisby1789
waffler1805
shoat1808
loafer1830
bummer1855
dead beat1863
bum1864
scowbanker1864
schnorrer1875
scowbank1881
ikey1906
layabout1932
lie-about1937
spine-basher1946
limer1964
1635 Earl of Manchester Al Mondo: Contemplatio Mortis (rev. ed.) 146 Industry in any calling makes a man capable of better imployment, whereas Idles are fit for nothing but temptations.
1709 E. Ward Rambling Fuddle-caps 13 Had I thought you'd have prov'd such an Idle.
4. [ < idle v.] Idling (of an engine); idling speed.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > machines which impart power > engine > [noun] > running of > idling
idling1916
idle1939
1939 C. H. Fisher Carburation & Carburettors iv. 96 If the throttle is closed completely the adjustment of the idling mixture is rendered too sensitive, hence it is usual to give a very small opening of the throttle when adjusting the idle.
1943 A. P. Fraas Aircraft Power Plants vii. 134 As the throttle is opened farther..the idle needle is withdrawn very rapidly and so has no effect on fuel flow at powers above an idle.
1966 McGraw-Hill Encycl. Sci. & Technol. (rev. ed.) II. 478/2 Because of increased piston and other friction with a cold engine, greater throttle opening as well as more fuel is required for idle at that time.
1972 Pract. Motorist Oct. 160/3 Start the engine and set the tick-over to 650 rpm, using the air screw. Now turn the jet adjusting screw one way or the other until the smoothest idle is achieved.
Special uses
S1. Parasynthetic combinations, as idle-bellied, idle-brained, idle-handed, idle-minded (so idle-mindedness), idle-pated, idle-thoughted, idle-witted adjs. Also idle-looking adj.; idle-headed adj.
ΚΠ
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 218 Þou ne sselt naȝt sseawy þe beuore me, ydel-honded.
a1533 J. Frith Mirroure (?1536) ii. sig. Avi Ydle belyed Monkes, Chanons & Prests.
1564 Briefe Exam. *****iiij To beleue euery fonde meanyng, as suche ydle brayned Durandes do bryng.
1615 T. Overbury et al. New & Choise Characters with Wife (6th impr.) sig. M4 Let him be found neuer so idle pated, hee is still a graue drunkard.
?1615 G. Chapman tr. Homer Odysses (new ed.) xviii. 285 Is the man idle-brain'd for want of rest?
1652 J. Gaule Πυς-μαντια 177 Idle-witted and fantastical men.
1849 J. C. Hare Serm. Preacht Herstmonceux Church II. 187 None of you can be so idle-thoughted as to fancy you can escape.
1870 E. A. Freeman in W. R. W. Stephens Life & Lett. E. A. Freeman (1895) II. 10 Idle-looking, watering-place sort of folk.
1899 Westm. Gaz. 21 Aug. 2/3 The empty-headed and idle-minded exist in both sexes.
1899 Leisure Hour Dec. 153 Hence the dull lives of many children of the poor, their occasional trend towards mischief from sheer idle-mindedness.
1917 R. Kipling Years Between (1919) 47 But the idle-minded overlings who quibbled while they died.
1927 T. Wilder Bridge San Luis Rey 100 Even the busiest mother stands for a moment idle-handed.
1928 Oxf. Poetry 39 Because this place is full of moneyed young men And indolent phallophil idleminded girls.
S2. Special combinations.† idle-being n. Obsolete being idle, idleness.† idle-pack n. Obsolete an idler.
idle-back n. an indolent person.
ΚΠ
1828 W. Carr Dial. Craven (ed. 2) Idle-back, a lazy person.
ΚΠ
1562 in J. Strype Ann. Reformation (1709) I. xxxi. 317 Giving themselves to gaming, drinking, or idlebeing at Home.
idle Dick n. South African formerly used as a local name for the grass-bird, Sphenœacus afer.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > birds > order Passeriformes (singing) > family Muscicapidae (thrushes, etc.) > subfamily Sylviidae (warbler) > [noun] > genus Sphenoeacus
grassbird?1740
idle Jack1884
idle Dick1901
1901 A. C. Stark Birds S. Afr. II. 168 Sphenœacus natalensis. Natal Grass-Bird... ‘Idle Dick’ and ‘Lazy Dick’ of English Colonists.
idle-fellow n. formerly, a fellow of a college who had no formal duties.
ΘΚΠ
society > education > member of university > [noun] > fellow
fellowc1405
father?c1550
student1589
by-fellow1856
idle-fellow1919
1919 R. Frost Let. 8 Aug. (1964) 132 I am going..to Ann Arbor to become an idle-fellow of the University of Michigan for one year.
idle fellowship n.
ΘΚΠ
society > education > member of university > [noun] > fellow > position of
fellowship?1510
by-fellowship1589
idle fellowship1884
outridership1901
1884 in J. R. Ware Passing Eng. Victorian Era (1909) 157/1 Much has been said against what are called idle Fellowships.
1909 J. R. Ware Passing Eng. Victorian Era 156/2 Idle fellowships (Oxford and Cambridge), the old as distinct from the new fellowships. Parliamentary action swept away towards the end of the 19th century most of these fatal sinecures.
idle Jack n. South African (see idle Dick n.).
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > birds > order Passeriformes (singing) > family Muscicapidae (thrushes, etc.) > subfamily Sylviidae (warbler) > [noun] > genus Sphenoeacus
grassbird?1740
idle Jack1884
idle Dick1901
1884 R. B. Sharpe Layard's Birds S. Afr. (rev. ed.) 281 It..will suffer itself to be taken with the hand rather than rise again; for this reason it has acquired the name of Idle Jack or Lazy Dick.
1893 A. Newton et al. Dict. Birds: Pt. II 458 Idle Jack, a local name in the Cape Colony for Sphenœacus africanus (Grass-bird).
idle-moss n. (see quot. 1866).
ΚΠ
1866 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. Moss, idle, an old name for various tree lichens, especially those which are pendulous.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > worthlessness > worthless person > [noun]
ribalda1250
brethelingc1275
filec1300
waynouna1350
waster1352
lorel1362
losel1362
land-leaper1377
javelc1400
leftc1400
lorerc1400
shackerellc1420
brethel1440
never-thrift1440
ne'er-thrifta1450
never-thrivinga1450
nebulona1475
breelc1485
naughty pack?1534
brathel1542
unsel155.
pelf1551
wandrel?1567
land-loper1570
scald1575
baggage1594
arrant1605
good-for-nothing1611
hilding1611
vauneant1621
idle-pack1624
thimble-maker1654
never-do-well1664
ne'er-be-good1675
shack1682
vagabond1686
shag-bag1699
houndsfoot1710
blackguard1732
ne'er-do-well1737
trumpery1738
rap1742
good-for-naught1773
rip1781
mauvais sujet1793
scamp1808
waffie1808
loose fish1809
ne'er-do-good1814
hard bargain1818
vaurien1829
sculpin1834
shicer1846
wastrel1847
scallywag1848
shack-bag1855
beat1865
rodney1877
git1939
no-hoper1944
piss artist1962
society > morality > moral evil > evil nature or character > lack of magnanimity or noble-mindedness > [noun] > worthlessness > good-for-nothing person
brethelingc1275
filec1300
dogc1330
ribald1340
waynouna1350
waster1352
lorel1362
losel1362
land-leaper1377
triflera1382
brothelc1390
javelc1400
leftc1400
lorerc1400
shackerellc1420
brethel1440
never-thrift1440
vagrant1444
ne'er-thrifta1450
never-thrivinga1450
nebulona1475
breelc1485
naughty pack?1534
brathel1542
carrion1547
slim1548
unsel155.
pelf1551
shifterc1562
rag1566
wandrel?1567
land-loper1570
nothing-worth1580
baggage1594
roly-poly1602
bash-rag1603
arrant1605
ragabash?1609
flabergullion1611
hilding1611
hard bargain1612
slubberdegullion1612
vauneant1621
knick-knacker1622
idle-pack1624
slabberdegullion1653
thimble-maker1654
whiffler1659
never-do-well1664
good-for-nought1671
ne'er-be-good1675
shack1682
vagabond1686
shabaroon1699
shag-bag1699
houndsfoot1710
ne'er-do-well1737
trumpery1738
rap1742
hallion1789
scamp1808
waffie1808
ne'er-do-good1814
vaurien1829
sculpin1834
shicer1846
good-for-nothing1847
wastrel1847
scallywag1848
shack-bag1855
beat1865
toe-rag1875
rodney1877
toe-ragger1896
low-lifer1902
punk1904
lowlife1909
ringtail1916
git1939
no-hoper1944
schlub1950
piss artist1962
dead leg1964
1624 R. Montagu Gagg for New Gospell? xlvii. 326 You haue playd the Idle-pack, Addle-head, Ignaro, or Negligent in the course of your book.
idle-peg n. (see quot.).
ΚΠ
1747 W. Hooson Miners Dict. sig. K3v Idlepeg, upon the Stoblade..there is a Hole bored through..in this Hole is put a peg of wood to hold the Sweep fast..and save the Drawer the Trouble of holding it.
idle-tongs n. = lazy-tongs n.
ΚΠ
1865 M. Eyre Lady's Walks South of France xiii. 163 Zigzag roads..which at a distance look like a huge pair of idle-tongs.
Compounds
attributive (in sense B. 4: cf. idling n. Compounds 1).
idle jet n.
ΚΠ
1943 A. P. Fraas Aircraft Power Plants vii. 119 A high metering head..is used to induce a flow of fuel through an idle jet.
idle needle n.
ΚΠ
1943Idle needle [see sense B. 4].
idle nozzle n.
ΚΠ
1968 C. F. Taylor Internal-combustion Engine II. vi. 200 Further opening of the throttle gradually exposes the idle nozzle to the full manifold depression, which may be as much as 10 psi..below atmospheric pressure in a normal idling engine.
idle power n.
ΚΠ
1946 R. H. Thorner Aircraft Carburetion ii. 65 The richest mixture is required at the carburetor during the lowest idle power.
idle range n.
ΚΠ
1939 C. H. Fisher Carburation & Carburettors iv. 95 Since most engines idle with a manifold depression of about 16″ of mercury,..any good carburettor can be made to deliver a wide band of mixture strengths covering the idle range.
idle stroke n.
ΚΠ
1896 W. Norris ‘Otto’ Cycle Gas Engine ii. 6 The idle strokes of the ‘Otto’ cycle are far from theoretically correct.
Draft additions March 2012
Telephony. Of a telephone or telephone line: available for (but not actively in) use; not engaged.
ΚΠ
1879 G. B. Prescott Speaking Telephone (new ed.) xv. 577 A catch on the end of the armature lever..keeps it in a vertical position..during the normal condition of the line when idle.
1933 K. B. Miller Telephone Theory & Pract. III. v. 263 Automatic trunk hunting may be necessary to find an idle line.
1952 Big Spring (Texas) Daily Herald 6 June 6/5 Operators..are faced with the problem of locating an idle line between their station and the number they want to dial.
1989 J. J. O'Reilly Telecommunications Princ. (ed. 2) i. 16 In all probability, most of the links are idle most of the time.
2008 Star-News (Wilmington, N. Carolina) (Nexis) 28 Dec. 2 e Telling prospective customers that ‘operators are waiting, please call now’, which invokes an image of bored employees staring skeptically at their idle telephones.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1899; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
idlev.
/ˈʌɪd(ə)l/ 1. (Meaning obscure.)
ΚΠ
a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. xxx. 414 With youre bendys and youre bridyls Of Sathan, the whilke Sir Sathanas idyls You for tha ilke.
2. intransitive. To move or saunter idly. rare.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > aspects of travel > travel from place to place > [verb (intransitive)] > with no fixed aim or wander > idly
roil?c1335
gada1500
stavera1500
vaguea1525
scoterlope1574
idle1599
haika1605
saunter1671
stravaig1801
palmer1805
streel1805
taver1808
traik1818
gander1822
gallivant1823
gilravage1825
project1828
daud1831
meander1831
to knock about1833
to kick about1839
to knock round1848
piroot1858
sashay1865
june1869
tootle1902
slop1907
beetle1919
stooge1941
swan1942
1599 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet ii. v. 19 The gossamours, That ydeles in the wanton sommer ayre. View more context for this quotation
1882 W. D. Howells in Longman's Mag. 1 41 A clear brown brook..idles through the pastures.
1890 G. Gissing Emancipated II. i. xiv. 127 Cecily let her fingers idle upon the keys.
1938 M. K. Rawlings Yearling ix. 75 The woodbox was low and Jody idled outside to fill it.
3.
a. To be idle; to spend the time in idleness.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > idleness, lack of occupation or activity > be idle or unoccupied [verb (intransitive)]
emptyeOE
to tell the clock1527
idle1668
to kick one's heels1703
twirl1777
gammer1788
to twiddle one's thumbs, or fingers1846
to make (also do) kef1852
goof1932
doss1937
to sit on one's hands1939
to bugger about ——1946
to spin one's wheels1960
1668 S. Pepys Diary 20 July (1976) IX. 265 Thence, idling all the afternoon.
1698 J. Fryer New Acct. E.-India & Persia 95 All the heat of the Day they idle it under some shady Tree.
1748 S. Richardson Clarissa III. xxxiii. 176 What do I keep fellows idling in the country for?
1853 E. K. Kane U.S. Grinnell Exped. xix. 149 Whether you ate or slept, or idled or toiled.
b. quasi-transitive. to idle (time) away, to pass in idleness.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > idleness, lack of occupation or activity > cause to be idle or inactive [verb (transitive)] > occupy oneself triflingly with > waste (time) in trifling activity
trifle outa1450
trifle1532
loiter1549
picklea1568
toy1575
trifle1587
rust1604
to idle (time) away1652
fool1657
to dally away1685
dangle1727
to piddle away1743
peddle1866
potter1883
putter1911
gold-brick1918
1652 J. Audley Englands Common-wealth 8 Some idle away their time.
a1773 Ld. Chesterfield (T.) Will you improve that hour instead of idling it away?
1813 E. S. Barrett Heroine I. i. 6 Thus idling her precious time over the common occupations of life!
4. transitive. To cause to be idle.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > idleness, lack of occupation or activity > cause to be idle or inactive [verb (transitive)]
idle1788
1788 E. Sheridan Let. in Betsy Sheridan's Jrnl. (1986) vi. 138 And to compleat all, they beg'd him to see another person who idled him two hours more.
1826 T. Moore Mem. (1854) V. 55 [I] have been a good deal idled these few days past.
1834 Sir W. R. Hamilton in R. P. Graves Life Sir W. R. Hamilton (1885) II. 97 My little boy, now about two months old, has not idled me much as yet.
1892 S. A. Brooke Short Serm. 174 Some pursuit which idles you too much.
1968 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 5 Feb. 21/7 Gilchrist was..idled with a leg injury.
1972 National Geographic Sept. 322 (caption) Idled by war, workers await the call to return to the Karnaphuli Rayon and Chemicals plant in Chandraghona.
5.
a. intransitive. Of an engine: to run while disconnected from a load or out of gear, so that it performs no external or useful work; also, to run very slowly. Also to idle over.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > machines which impart power > engine > of an engine: operative [verb (intransitive)] > idle
idle1916
1916 [implied in: R. T. Nicholson Bk. of Ford 151 You will run very economically, but you will find starting and ‘idling’ very difficult. (at idling n. b)].
1920 V. W. Pagé Useful Hints for Motorists iii. 78 Turn petrol adjustment to the right..until motor idles smoothly.
1925 A. W. Judge Carburettors & Carburation iii. 37 The ideal carburettor should:.. (4) Enable the engine to run very slowly when ‘idling’, without undue waste of fuel.
1931 C. B. Nordhoff & J. N. Hall Falcons of France 98 The mechanics already had the engines warmed up, and propellers were ‘idling over’ at 350 revolutions.
1932 C. H. Chatfield & C. F. Taylor Airplane & its Engine (ed. 2) viii. 169 Airplane engines must be able to idle, that is run very slowly, in order to keep the landing speed as low as possible.
1934 Boys' Mag. XLVII. 23/2 One after another the four engines were started, ‘revved’ with a deafening roar singly and all together, and then left quietly ‘idling’.
1953 G. E. M. Anscombe tr. L. Wittgenstein Philos. Investig. i. §132 The confusions which occupy us arise when language is like an engine idling, not when it is doing work.
1965 P. H. Smith High-speed Two-stroke Petrol Engine x. 212 The engine is..idling at tick-over speed.
1970 Commerc. Motor 25 Sept. 64/2 Neither vehicle had much mileage on the clock which was probably the reason why the engines idled badly.
b. transitive. To cause (an engine) to idle; to idle down, to slow down and idle (an engine).
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > machines which impart power > engine > operate engine [verb (transitive)] > reduce speed of or cause to idle
idle1925
1925 E. W. Knott Carburettor Handbk. i. 41 It is surprising what a small degree of throttle opening is necessary to pass the requisite amount of mixture to ‘idle’ an engine.
1938 J. Steinbeck Long Valley 17 She heard him drive to the gate and idle down his motor.
1938 Amer. Speech 13 131/2 In case of some delay, the engineer may idle down or slow down the tractor.
1972 ‘H. Buckmaster’ Walking Trip 163 David slowed the car and idled it by the side of the road.
Derivatives
idling adj.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > machines which impart power > engine > [adjective] > idling
idle1805
idling1936
society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > machines which impart power > engine > [adjective] > relating to specific part
Corliss1868
idling1936
1828 I. D'Israeli Comm. Life Charles I II. v. 119 Not to be idle in idling times.
1936 E. S. Gardner Case of Stuttering Bishop (1937) iii. 41 The ever-present throbbing undertone of sound..from idling motors.
1968 C. F. Taylor Internal-combustion Engine II. vi. 200 Further opening of the throttle gradually exposes the idle nozzle to the full manifold depression, which may be as much as 10 psi..below atmospheric pressure in a normal idling engine.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1899; most recently modified version published online September 2018).
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adj.n.c825v.a1500