idle
adjective (idle, idler, idlest); verb (idle, idles, idled, idling)
Everyday
- Not working or not being used, as in «the machines stood idle». tree →
- Lazy, not wanting to work. tree →
- Without a real reason or purpose, as in «idle chatter» or «an idle threat». tree →
- (verb) Of an engine: to run slowly while the car is not moving. tree →
- (verb) To spend time doing nothing. tree →
In the lessons
In safety and science: an idling car makes fumes, so many schools have «no idling» signs. In stories: «idle hands», «idle gossip». In computing a computer can be idle. Phrases: stand idle, idle chatter, idle threat, idle away the time.
Examples
- Please don't let the engine idle outside the school. tree →
- The tractor sat idle in the shed. tree →
- Don't be idle — help me tidy up. tree →
- It was just idle chatter. tree →
- We idled away the afternoon in the garden. tree →
- His threat was an idle one. tree →
- The computer goes to sleep when it is idle. tree →
- As long as our father lived Alnaschar was very idle. tree →
Note
Homophone: «idol» (someone you admire, or a statue worshipped). Adverb: idly. Noun: idleness. In maths, time a machine is idle produces nothing, so it does not add to the total made.
In Jewish tradition
Pharaoh uses it to mean lazy and shirking work. He says the Israelites are idle because they ask to go and worship.
Interpretation. Tradition reads Pharaoh's cruel words as an excuse for making the slavery heavier. Moses' request to worship God is treated as the start of the exodus.
Examples
- But he said: 'Ye are idle, ye are idle; therefore ye say: Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD. (Torah EXO.5.17, JPS 1917) tree →
- And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof; for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our God. (Torah EXO.5.8, JPS 1917) tree →
- Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and the idle soul shall suffer hunger. (Writings PRO.19.15, JPS 1917) tree →
Note
Homophone: «idol» (someone you admire, or a statue worshipped). Adverb: idly. Noun: idleness. In maths, time a machine is idle produces nothing, so it does not add to the total made.
On Mova
- Trees and pragmatics of «idle» in the school dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- «idle» in the school dictionary on Mova free.
- Trees and pragmatics of «idle» in the Judaism dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- «idle» in the Judaism dictionary on Mova free.
This page in Markdown → https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/idle/