English Explanatory Dictionary

loiter

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To stand about without any aim or purpose; to stand about idly.
  2. To stroll about without any aim or purpose, to ramble, to wander.
  3. To remain at a certain place instead of moving on.
  4. For an aircraft to remain in the air near a target.
noun
  1. A standing or strolling about without any aim or purpose.

Pronunciation

/ˈlɔɪtə(ɹ)/ /ˈlɔɪtɚ/ [ˈlɔɪɾɚ] en-us-loiter.ogg

Word forms

loiter loiters loitering loitered

Etymology

From Middle English loitren, from Middle Dutch loteren ("to shake, wag, wobble"; > modern Dutch leuteren (“to dawdle, ramble”)), ultimately connected with a frequentative form of Proto-Germanic *lūtaną (“to bend, stoop, cower, shrink from, decline”), see lout. Cognate with Dutch leuteren (“to dawdle”), Alemannic German lottern (“to wobble”), German lottern (“live a slovenly life”). More at lout, little.

Synonyms

arse about arse around bludge bum around cabbage clown around dally dawdle dick about dick around diddle dilly-dally dretch drumble faff faff about faff around fanny about fanny around fart about fart around fiddle about fiddle around fool about fool around footle forslow goof around goof off hang about hang around hang out horse around idle jerk off lallygag lamp laze laze about laze around linger loaf loaf about loaf around loiter lollop lollygag mess around mill about mill around muck about muck around piddle pingle stand by tarry tool around waste time while lepak

Antonyms

energize leave make a move scraffle scramble take action work

Related words

build castles in the air time bandit time burglar time thief idler lazy shirk

Derived words

antiloitering Floyder loiterature loiterer loiteringly loitering munition loiter munition loitering → loiteringly loiter-sack loiter time
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