oozlev.
/ˈuːzl/, U.S. /ˈuz(ə)l/ Now rare.
1. intransitive. U.S. Of smoke: to trickle, move slowly.
ΚΠ
1883 Cent. Mag. Sept. 621/2 Ole Brer Wolf sot out dar on de back peazzer..en let de smoke oozle out'n he nose.
1902 Frank Leslie's Pop. Monthly June 181/1 The words and smoke seemed to oozle out together.
2. transitive and intransitive. Australian and New Zealand. To move slowly or lazily.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > motion in specific manner > alternating or reciprocating motion > move to and fro or up and down [verb (transitive)] > cause to rise and fall or undulate
enwave1610
heave1612
undulate1669
fluctuate1850
oozle1934
the world > movement > rate of motion > slowness > move or go slowly [verb (intransitive)]
creepc1175
lugc1400
to hold (also keep) foot withc1438
crawlc1460
lounge?a1513
slug1565
drawl1566
draggle1577
fodge1581
snail1582
laggerc1620
slagger1622
snail1628
flod1674
delay1690
to drag one’s slow length along1711
soss1711
loiter1728
trail1744
sidle1781
soodle1821
linger1826
ooze1847
slope1851
laggard1864
dawdle1872
tiddle1882
oozle1958
pootle1973
1934 T. Wood Cobbers xii. 153 The octopus..goggled his eyes and oozled his slimy, restless-writhing arms.
1938 Tararua Tramper Aug. 5 We were keen to see the renowned ‘Whareiti’ and oozled off one by one in search thereof.
1958 Tararua 29 The critics will no doubt note that to oozle and to trickle, which denoted much slower modes of locomotion, were comparatively little used.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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