Definition: idle

Search dictionary for

Source: WordNet (r) 1.7 

idle
     adj 1: not in action or at work; "an idle laborer"; "idle
            drifters"; "the idle rich"; "an idle mind" [ant: busy]
     2: without a basis in reason or fact; "baseless gossip"; "the
        allegations proved groundless"; "idle fears"; "unfounded
        suspicions"; "unwarranted jealousy" [syn: baseless, groundless,
         unfounded, unwarranted]
     3: not in active use; "the machinery sat idle during the
        strike"; "idle hands" [syn: unused]
     4: silly or trivial; "idle pleasure"; "light banter"; "light
        idle chatter" [syn: light]
     5: lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; "idle talk";
        "a loose tongue" [syn: loose]
     6: not yielding a return; "dead capital"; "idle funds" [syn: dead]
     7: not having a job; "idle carpenters"; "jobless transients";
        "many people in the area were out of work" [syn: jobless,
         out of work]
     v 1: run disconnected or idle; "the engine is idling" [ant: run]
     2: be idle; exist in a changeless situation; "The old man sat
        and stagnated on his porch"; "He slugged in bed all
        morning" [syn: laze, slug, stagnate] [ant: work]

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) 

Idle \I"dle\, a. [Compar. Idler; superl. Idlest.] [OE. idel,
   AS. [=i]del vain, empty, useless; akin to OS. [=i]dal, D.
   ijdel, OHG. [=i]tal vain, empty, mere, G. eitel, Dan. & Sw.
   idel mere, pure, and prob. to Gr. ? clear, pure, ? to burn.
   Cf. Ether.]
   1. Of no account; useless; vain; trifling; unprofitable;
      thoughtless; silly; barren. ``Deserts idle.'' --Shak.

            Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall
            give account thereof in the day of judgment. --Matt.
                                                  xii. 36.

            Down their idle weapons dropped.      --Milton.

            This idle story became important.     --Macaulay.

   2. Not called into active service; not turned to appropriate
      use; unemployed; as, idle hours.

            The idle spear and shield were high uphing.
                                                  --Milton.

   3. Not employed; unoccupied with business; inactive; doing
      nothing; as, idle workmen.

            Why stand ye here all the day idle?   --Matt. xx. 6.

   4. Given rest and ease; averse to labor or employment; lazy;
      slothful; as, an idle fellow.

   5. Light-headed; foolish. [Obs.] --Ford.

   Idle pulley (Mach.), a pulley that rests upon a belt to
      tighten it; a pulley that only guides a belt and is not
      used to transmit power.

   Idle wheel (Mach.), a gear wheel placed between two others,
      to transfer motion from one to the other without changing
      the direction of revolution.

   In idle, in vain. [Obs.] ``God saith, thou shalt not take
      the name of thy Lord God in idle.'' --Chaucer.

   Syn: Unoccupied; unemployed; vacant; inactive; indolent;
        sluggish; slothful; useless; ineffectual; futile;
        frivolous; vain; trifling; unprofitable; unimportant.

   Usage: Idle, Indolent, Lazy. A propensity to inaction
          is expressed by each of these words; they differ in
          the cause and degree of this characteristic. Indolent
          denotes an habitual love to ease, a settled dislike of
          movement or effort; idle is opposed to busy, and
          denotes a dislike of continuous exertion. Lazy is a
          stronger and more contemptuous term than indolent.
Idle \I"dle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Idled; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Idling.]
   To lose or spend time in inaction, or without being employed
   in business. --Shak.
Idle \I"dle\, v. t.
   To spend in idleness; to waste; to consume; -- often followed
   by away; as, to idle away an hour a day.

Source: V.E.R.A. -- Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms December 2001 

IDLE
        International Date Line, East [+1200] (TZ)