Part 5530

<h1>Idle</h1> <Xpage=726>

<hw>I"dle</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>Compar.</tt> <er>Idler</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>superl.</tt> <er>Idlest</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[OE. <ets>idel</ets>, AS. <ets>\'c6del</ets> vain, empty, useless; akin to OS. <ets>\'c6dal</ets>, D. <ets>ijdel</ets>, OHG. <ets>\'c6tal</ets> vain, empty, mere, G. <ets>eitel</ets>, Dan. & Sw. <ets>idel</ets> mere, pure, and prob. to Gr. <?/ clear, pure, <?/ to burn. Cf. <er>Ether</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Of no account; useless; vain; trifling; unprofitable; thoughtless; silly; barren.</def> "Deserts <i>idle</i>."

<i>Shak.</i>

<blockquote>Every <b>idle</b> word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. <i>Matt. xii. 36.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Down their <b>idle</b> weapons dropped. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>This <b>idle</b> story became important. <i>Macaulay.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Not called into active service; not turned to appropriate use; unemployed; <as>as, <ex>idle</ex> hours</as>.</def>

<blockquote>The <b>idle</b> spear and shield were high uphing. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>Not employed; unoccupied with business; inactive; doing nothing; <as>as, <ex>idle</ex> workmen</as>.</def>

<blockquote>Why stand ye here all the day <b>idle</b>? <i>Matt. xx. 6.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>Given rest and ease; averse to labor or employment; lazy; slothful; <as>as, an <ex>idle</ex> fellow</as>.</def>

<p><b>5.</b> <def>Light-headed; foolish.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Ford.</i>

<cs><col>Idle pulley</col> <fld>(Mach.)</fld>, <cd>a pulley that rests upon a belt to tighten it; a pulley that only guides a belt and is not used to transmit power.</cd> -- <col>Idle wheel</col> <fld>(Mach.)</fld>, <cd>a gear wheel placed between two others, to transfer motion from one to the other without changing the direction of revolution.</cd> -- <col>In idle</col>, <cd>in vain. <mark>[Obs.]</mark> "God saith, thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord God <i>in idle<i>."</cd></cs>

<i>Chaucer.</i>

<syn>Syn. -- Unoccupied; unemployed; vacant; inactive; indolent; sluggish; slothful; useless; ineffectual; futile; frivolous; vain; trifling; unprofitable; unimportant.</syn> <usage> -- <er>Idle</er>, <er>Indolent</er>, <er>Lazy</er>. A propensity to inaction is expressed by each of these words; they differ in the cause and degree of this characteristic. <i>Indolent</i> denotes an habitual love to ease, a settled dislike of movement or effort; <i>idle</i> is opposed to <i>busy</i>, and denotes a dislike of <i>continuous</i> exertion. <i>Lazy</i> is a stronger and more contemptuous term than <i>indolent</i>.</usage>

<h1>Idle</h1> <Xpage=726>

<hw>I"dle</hw>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Idled</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Idling</er> <tt>(?)</tt>.]</wordforms> <def>To lose or spend time in inaction, or without being employed in business.</def>

<i>Shak.</i>

<h1>Idle</h1> <Xpage=726>

<hw>I"dle</hw>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <def>To spend in idleness; to waste; to consume; -- often followed by <i>away</i>; <as>as, to <ex>idle</ex> away an hour a day</as>.</def>

<h1>Idle-headed</h1> <Xpage=726>

<hw>I"dle-head`ed</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Foolish; stupid.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark> "The superstitious <i>idle-headed</i> eld."

<i>Shak.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Delirious; infatuated.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>L'Estrange.</i>

<h1>Idleness</h1> <Xpage=726>

<hw>I"dle*ness</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[AS. <ets>\'c6delnes</ets>.]</ety> <def>The condition or quality of being idle (in the various senses of that word); uselessness; fruitlessness; triviality; inactivity; laziness.</def>