Search the Dictionary

A person habitually lazy, idle, and inactive; a drone. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; considered her ways, and be wise. Prov. vi. 6.

The state of being a sluggard; sluggishness; sloth. Gower. Idleness is rotten sluggardy. Chaucer.

Habitually idle and lazy; slothful; dull; inactive; as, a sluggish man.

Anything unsubstantial, as idle talk. Shak.

A kind of bridle bit, having a joint in the part to be placed in the mouth, and rings and cheek pieces at the ends, but having no curb; -- called also snaffle bit.

To protract; to spend by delays; as, to spin out the day in idleness. By one delay after another they spin out their whole lives. L'Estrange.

Fig.: To gain by mean arts, by intrusion, or hanging on; as, an idler sponges on his neighbor. E. Eggleston. The fly is an intruder, and a common smell-feast, that sponges upon other people's trenchers. L'Estrange.

Play; idle jingle. An author who should introduce such a sport of words upon our stage would meet with small applause. Broome.

A bridle path. [R.]

ece resembling in shape the stirrup of a saddle, and used as a support, clamp, etc. See Bridle iron.

A wandering on foot; an idle and leisurely walk; a ramble.

To crowd with facts; to cram the mind of; sometimes, to crowd or fill with false or idle tales or fancies.

ion; overscrupulous and rigid in religious observances; addicted to superstition; full of idle fancies and scruples in regard to religion. Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. Acts xvii. 22.

from Swear, v. Idle swearing is a cursedness. Chaucer.

ality or character; as, this water tastes brackish; the milk tastes of garlic. Yea, every idle, nice, and wanton reason Shall to the king taste of this action. Shak.

Idle talk or chat; trifling talk; prate. [They] told the tattle of the day. Swift.

One who tattles; an idle talker; one who tells tales. Jer. Taylor.

Idle talk or chat; tittle-tattle.

Given to idle talk; apt to tell tales. -- Tat"tling*ly, adv.

ally, to exact money from for the support of government. We are more heavily taxed by our idleness, pride, and folly than we are taxed by government. Franklin.