sloth

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

sloth, n. [OE. slouthe, sleuthe, AS. slw, fr. slāw slow. See Slow.].

•  Slowness; tardiness.  [1913 Webster]

  "These cardinals trifle with me; I abhor
  This dilatory sloth and tricks of Rome."  [1913 Webster]
•  Disinclination to action or labor; sluggishness; laziness; idleness.  [1913 Webster]

  "[They] change their course to pleasure, ease, and sloth."  [1913 Webster]

  "Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears."  [1913 Webster]
•  Any one of several species of arboreal edentates constituting the family Bradypodidæ, and the suborder Tardigrada. They have long exserted limbs and long prehensile claws. Both jaws are furnished with teeth (see Illust. of Edentata), and the ears and tail are rudimentary. They inhabit South and Central America and Mexico.  [1913 Webster]

  " The three-toed sloths belong to the genera Bradypus and Arctopithecus, of which several species have been described. They have three toes on each foot. The best-known species are collared sloth (Bradypus tridactylus), and the ai (Arctopitheus ai). The two-toed sloths, consisting the genus Cholopus, have two toes on each fore foot and three on each hind foot. The best-known is the unau (Cholopus didactylus) of South America. See Unau. Another species (C. Hoffmanni) inhabits Central America. Various large extinct terrestrial edentates, such as Megatherium and Mylodon, are often called sloths."  [1913 Webster]

Australian sloth, or Native sloth (Zoöl.), the koala. -- Sloth animalcule (Zoöl.), a tardigrade. -- Sloth bear (Zoöl.), a black or brown long-haired bear (Melursus ursinus, or Melursus labiatus), native of India and Ceylon; -- called also aswail, labiated bear, and jungle bear. It is easily tamed and can be taught many tricks. -- Sloth monkey (Zoöl.), a loris.

sloth, v. i. 

 To be idle.  Gower.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

sloth, n.
1 laziness or indolence; reluctance to make an effort.
2 any slow-moving nocturnal mammal of the family Bradypodidae or Megalonychidae of S. America, having long limbs and hooked claws for hanging upside down from branches of trees.

Idiom

sloth bear a large-lipped black shaggy bear, Melursus ursinus, of India.

Etymology

ME f. SLOW + -TH(2)

THESAURUS

sloth

Chiroptera, Lagomorpha, Primates, Rodentia, accidia, acedia, aloofness, anger, apathy, army, ataraxia, ataraxy, avarice, avaritia, benumbedness, blah, blahs, boredom, bunch, carelessness, casualness, cautiousness, cave of Trophonius, cave of despair, circumspection, colony, comatoseness, creeping, deadly sin, deliberateness, deliberation, despair, desperateness, desperation, despondency, detachment, dilatoriness, disconsolateness, disinterest, dispassion, disregard, disregardfulness, do-nothingness, drawl, drift, drive, drove, drowsiness, dullness, easygoingness, enervation, ennui, envy, ergophobia, faineancy, faineantise, fatigue, flock, foot-dragging, forlornness, gam, gang, gluttony, greed, gula, heartlessness, heaviness, hebetude, heedlessness, herd, hoboism, hopelessness, host, idleness, idling, inanimation, inappetence, inattention, inattentiveness, incuriosity, indifference, indiscrimination, indolence, inertia, inertness, inexcitability, inexertion, insouciance, invidia, ira, jadedness, just being, kennel, lack of affect, lack of appetite, lackadaisicalness, laggardness, languidness, languishment, languor, languorousness, lassitude, laze, laziness, lazing, leisureliness, lenitude, lentitude, lentor, lethargicalness, lethargy, lifelessness, listlessness, litter, loafing, lotus-eating, lust, luxuria, mere existence, mere tropism, mindlessness, negligence, no exit, no way, no way out, nonchalance, numbness, oscitancy, pack, passiveness, passivity, phlegm, phlegmaticalness, phlegmaticness, plucklessness, pococurantism, pod, pokiness, pride, recklessness, regardlessness, reluctance, remissness, resignation, resignedness, satedness, school, shiftlessness, shoal, skulk, slackness, sleepiness, slothfulness, slouch, slowness, sluggardy, sluggishness, somnolence, sopor, soporifousness, spiritlessness, spring fever, spunklessness, stagnation, stupefaction, stupor, superbia, supineness, tentativeness, torpidity, torpidness, torpitude, torpor, trip, troop, unanxiousness, unconcern, unmindfulness, unsolicitousness, vagrancy, vegetation, weariness, withdrawnness, world-weariness, wrath

ROGET THESAURUS

sloth

Inactivity

N inactivity, inaction, inertness, obstinacy, lull, quiescence, rust, rustiness, idleness, remissness, sloth, indolence, indiligence, dawdling, ergophobia, otiosity, dullness, languor, segnity, segnitude, lentor, sluggishness, procrastination, torpor, torpidity, torpescence, stupor, somnolence, drowsiness, nodding, oscitation, oscitancy, pandiculation, hypnotism, lethargy, statuvolence heaviness, heavy eyelids, sleep, slumber, sound sleep, heavy sleep, balmy sleep, Morpheus, Somnus, coma, trance, ecstasis, dream, hibernation, nap, doze, snooze, siesta, wink of sleep, forty winks, snore, hypnology, dull work, pottering, relaxation, Castle of Indolence, lullaby, sedative, tranquilizer, hypnotic, sleeping pill, relaxant, anaesthetic, general anaesthetic, torpedo, idler, drone, droil, dawdle, mopus, do- little faineant, dummy, sleeping partner, afternoon farmer, truant, bummer, loafer, goldbrick, goldbicker, lounger, lazzarone, lubber, lubbard, slow coach (slow, ), opium eater, lotus eater, slug, lag, sluggard, slugabed, slumberer, dormouse, marmot, waiter on Providence, fruges consumere natus, inactive, motionless, unoccupied, unbusied, indolent, lazy, slothful, idle, lusk, remiss, slack, inert, torpid, sluggish, otiose, languid, supine, heavy, dull, leaden, lumpish, exanimate, soulless, listless, drony, dronish, lazy as Ludlam's dog, dilatory, laggard, lagging, slow, rusty, flagging, lackadaisical, maudlin, fiddle-faddle, pottering, shilly-shally, sleeping asleep, fast asleep, dead asleep, sound asleep, in a sound sleep, sound as a top, dormant, comatose, in the arms of Morpheus, in the lap of Morpheus, sleepy, sleepful, dozy, drowsy, somnolent, torpescent, lethargic, lethargical, somnifacient, statuvolent, statuvolic, heavy, heavy with sleep, napping, somnific, somniferous, soporous, soporific, soporiferous, hypnotic, balmy, dreamy, unawakened, unawakened, sedative, inactively, at leisure, the eyes begin to draw straws, bankrupt of life yet prodigal of ease, better 50 years of Europe than a cycle of Cathay, idly busy rolls their world away, the mystery of folded sleep, the timely dew of sleep, thou driftest gently down the tides of sleep, tired Nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep.

Physical Inertness

N physical inertness, inertness, dullness, inertia, vis inertiae, inertion, inactivity, torpor, languor, quiescence, latency, inaction, passivity, mental inertness, sloth, inexcitability, irresolution, obstinacy, permanence, rare gas, paraffin, noble metal, unreactivity, inert, inactive, passive, torpid, sluggish, dull, heavy, flat, slack, tame, slow, blunt, unreactive, lifeless, dead, uninfluential, latent, dormant, smoldering, unexerted, inactively, in suspense, in abeyance.