What does idler mean?

Definitions for idler
idler

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word idler.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. idler, loafer, do-nothing, layabout, bumnoun

    person who does no work

    "a lazy bum"

Wiktionary

  1. idlernoun

    One who idles; one who spends his time in inaction.

  2. idlernoun

    One who idles; a lazy person; a sluggard.

  3. idlernoun

    Any member of a ship's crew who is not required to keep the night-watch

  4. idlernoun

    A mechanical device such as a pulley or wheel that does not transmit power, but supports a moving belt etc.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Idlernoun

    A lazy person; a sluggard.

    Etymology: from idle.

    Many of these poor fishermen and idlers, that are commonly presented to his majesty's ships, are so ignorant in sea-service as that they know not the name of a rope. Walter Raleigh.

    Thou sluggish idler, dilatory slave. Irene.

ChatGPT

  1. idler

    An idler is a person who is lazy, avoids work or effort, or spends time in an unproductive way. It can also refer to a mechanical device or part, often a wheel or pulley, that's designed to transmit rotation without altering the torque or speed, thus typically used to adjust the tension in or length of a drive belt or chain.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Idlernoun

    one who idles; one who spends his time in inaction; a lazy person; a sluggard

  2. Idlernoun

    one who has constant day duties on board ship, and keeps no regular watch

  3. Idlernoun

    an idle wheel or pulley. See under Idle

Dictionary of Nautical Terms

  1. idler

    A general designation for all those on board a ship-of-war, who, from being liable to constant day duty, are not subjected to keep the night-watch, but must go on deck if all hands are called during the night. Surgeons, marine-officers, paymasters, and the civil department, are also thus denominated.

Surnames Frequency by Census Records

  1. IDLER

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Idler is ranked #51941 in terms of the most common surnames in America.

    The Idler surname appeared 400 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Idler.

    94.2% or 377 total occurrences were White.
    2.5% or 10 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
    1.7% or 7 total occurrences were of two or more races.

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce idler?

How to say idler in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of idler in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of idler in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of idler in a Sentence

  1. George Bernard Shaw:

    A learned man is an idler who kills time with study. Beware of his false knowledge it is more dangerous than ignorance.

  2. Francois Marie Arouet Voltaire:

    The wicked can have only accomplices, the voluptuous have companions in debauchery, self-seekers have associates, the politic assemble the factions, the typical idler has connections, princes have courtiers. Only the virtuous have friends.

  3. John Greenleaf Whittier:

    Through this broad street, restless ever, ebbs and flows a human tide, wave on wave a living river; wealth and fashion side by side; Toiler, idler, slave and master, in the same quick current glide.

  4. George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, 1903:

    A learned man is an idler who kills time with study. Beware of his false knowledge: it is more dangerous than ignorance.

  5. Remy de Gourmont:

    Industry has operated against the artisan in favor of the idler, and also in favor of capital and against labor. Any mechanical invention whatsoever has been more harmful to humanity than a century of war.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

idler#10000#47936#100000

Translations for idler

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • Faulenzer, untätige Mitarbeiterin, untätiger Mitarbeiter, Faulenzerin, Drohne, FaulpelzGerman
  • ocioso, holgazán, flojoSpanish
  • joutomies, tukipyöräFinnish
  • fainéant, fainéanteFrench
  • leisgeadairScottish Gaelic
  • कामचोरHindi
  • פַּהֲקָןHebrew
  • inukorokoroMāori
  • luiaardDutch
  • тунеядец, бездельник, лентяйRussian
  • hinosdunan, hitrögan, jitrögan, trögan, jinosdunan, nosdunanVolapük
  • 闲人Chinese

Get even more translations for idler »

Translation

Find a translation for the idler definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"idler." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Oct. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/idler>.

Discuss these idler definitions with the community:

1 Comment
  • Brad Johnston
    Brad Johnston
    You (Definitions) should warn us if there are three examples but we only get to vote on one, e.g, "idler" above. Wiktionary is better than Webster but both are better than Princeton's Wordnet, which omits the whole mechanical aspect of the word "idler', which may be in more common usage than the human aspect. An "idler" is a common mechanical device in myriad forms. 
    LikeReply8 years ago

Are we missing a good definition for idler? Don't keep it to yourself...

Free, no signup required:

Add to Chrome

Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

Free, no signup required:

Add to Firefox

Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

Quiz

Are you a words master?

»
cloth coverings wrapped around something (as a wound or a baby)
A rung
B instigation
C swathing
D sapling

Nearby & related entries:

Alternative searches for idler: