idle

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

i·dle / ˈīdl/ • adj. (i·dler , i·dlest ) 1. (esp. of a machine or factory) not active or in use: assembly lines standing idle for lack of spare parts. ∎  (of a person) not working; unemployed. ∎  (of a person) avoiding work; lazy. ∎  (of time) characterized by inaction or absence of significant activity: at no time in the day must there be an idle moment. ∎  (of money) held in cash or in accounts paying no interest. 2. without purpose or effect; pointless: he did not want to waste valuable time in idle chatter. ∎  (esp. of a threat or boast) without foundation: I knew Ellen did not make idle threats. • v. [intr.] (of a person) spend time doing nothing; be idle: four men were idling outside the shop. ∎  [intr.] move aimlessly or lazily: Cal idled past MetroHealth at a stately pace. ∎  (of an engine) run slowly while disconnected from a load or out of gear: the car is noisily idling in the street. ∎  [tr.] cause (an engine) to idle. ∎  [tr.] take out of use or employment: he will close the newspaper, idling 2,200 workers. PHRASAL VERBS: idle something away spend one's time doing nothing or very little.DERIVATIVES: i·dle·ness n.

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© The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English 2008, originally published by Oxford University Press 2008.