loiter

• POS: Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: loi=ter

CIDE DICTIONARY

loiter, v. i. [D. leuteren to delay, loiter; cf; Prov. G. lottern to be louse, lotter louse, slack, unsettled, vagrant, OHG. lotar.].

•  To be slow in moving; to delay; to linger; to be dilatory; to spend time idly; to saunter; to lag behind.  [1913 Webster]

  "Sir John, you loiter here too long."  [1913 Webster]

  "If we have loitered, let us quicken our pace."  [1913 Webster]
•  To wander as an idle vagrant.  Spenser.

Syn. -- To linger; delay; lag; saunter; tarry.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

loiter, v.
1 intr. hang about; linger idly.
2 intr. travel indolently and with long pauses.
3 tr. (foll. by away) pass (time etc.) in loitering.

Idiom

loiter with intent hang about in order to commit a felony.

Derivative

loiterer n.

Etymology

ME f. MDu. loteren wag about

THESAURUS

loiter

abide, await, bide, bide the issue, bum, bum around, coquet, dabble, dally, dawdle, delay, diddle, dillydally, do nothing, doodle, drag, fall behind, falter, fiddle, fiddle with, fiddle-faddle, fidget with, finger with, flag, flirt, fool, fool around, fool with, fribble, frivol, get behind, goof off, halt, hang about, hang around, hang back, hold everything, hold on, hold your horses, horse around, idle, jerk off, kid around, lag, laze, lazy, lie around, linger, linger behind, loaf, loiter about, loll, loll around, lollop around, lollygag, lounge, lounge around, mark time, mess around, monkey, monkey around, mooch around, moon, moon around, piddle, play, play around, play with, poke, potter, procrastinate, put off, putter, shilly-shally, sit around, sit tight, sit up, slouch, slouch around, smatter, stand around, stay, stay up, stick around, straggle, take time, tarry, tinker, toy, toy with, trail, trail behind, trifle, twiddle, wait, wait a minute, wait and see, waste time

ROGET THESAURUS

loiter

Inactivity

VB be inactive, do nothing, move slowly, let the grass grow under one's feet, take one's time, dawdle, drawl, droil, lag, hang back, slouch, loll, lollop, lounge, poke, loaf, loiter, go to sleep over, sleep at one's post, ne battre que d'une aile, take it easy, take things as they come, lead an easy life, vegetate, swim with the stream, eat the bread of idleness, loll in the lap of luxury, loll in the lap of indolence, waste time, consume time, kill time, lose time, burn daylight, waste the precious hours, idle away time, trifle away time, fritter away time, fool away time, spend time in, take time in, peddle, piddle, potter, pudder, dabble, faddle fribble, fiddle-faddle, dally, dilly-dally, sleep, slumber, be asleep, hibernate, oversleep, sleep like a top, sleep like a log, sleep like a dormouse, sleep soundly, heavily, doze, drowze, snooze, nap, take a nap, dream, snore one's best, settle to sleep, go to sleep, go off to sleep, doze off, drop off, fall asleep, drop asleep, close the eyes, seal up the eyes, seal up eyelids, weigh down the eyelids, get sleep, nod, yawn, go to bed, turn, get some z's, stack z's, languish, expend itself, flag, hang fire, relax, render idle, sluggardize, mitigate.

Lateness

VB be late, tarry, wait, stay, bide, take time, dawdle, linger, loiter, bide one's time, take one's time, gain time, hang fire, stand over, lie over, put off, defer, delay, lay over, suspend, table, shift off, stave off, waive, retard, remand, postpone, adjourn, procrastinate, dally, prolong, protract, spin out, draw out, lengthen out, stretch out, prorogue, keep back, tide over, push to the last, drive to the last, let the matter stand over, reserve, temporize, consult one's pillow, sleep on it, lose an opportunity, be kept waiting, dance attendance, kick one's heels, cool one's heels, faire antichambre, wait impatiently, await, sit up, sit up at night.

Slowness

VB move slowly, creep, crawl, lag, slug, drawl, linger, loiter, saunter, plod, trudge, stump along, lumber, trail, drag, dawdle, grovel, worm one's way, steal along, job on, rub on, bundle on, toddle, waddle, wabble, slug, traipse, slouch, shuffle, halt, hobble, limp, caludicate, shamble, flag, falter, trotter, stagger, mince, step short, march in slow time, march in funeral procession, take one's time, hang fire, retard, relax, slacken, check, moderate, rein in, curb, reef, strike sail, shorten sail, take in sail, put on the drag, apply the brake, clip the wings, reduce the speed, slacken speed, slacken one's pace, lose ground.