English

Verb

dawdle ‎(third-person singular simple present dawdles, present participle dawdling, simple past and past participle dawdled)

1. (intransitive) To spend time idly and unfruitfully, to waste time.
   • 1909, E.M. Forster, “I”, in The Machine Stops:

     I really believe you enjoy dawdling.

   • 2011 October 29, Neil Johnston, “Norwich 3 - 3 Blackburn”, in BBC Sport:

     However all Hennessey's good work went to waste on 52 minutes when he dawdled on the ball.

   • Johnson

     Come some evening and dawdle over a dish of tea with me.

2. (transitive) To spend (time) without haste or purpose.

   to dawdle away the whole morning‎

3. (intransitive) To move or walk lackadaisically.
   • Thackeray

     We […] dawdle up and down Pall Mall.

   If you dawdle on your daily walk, you won't get as much exercise.‎

Translations

See also

• dally, dander, dandle, diddle, loaf, piddle, wander, doodle

Noun

dawdle ‎(plural dawdles)

1. A dawdler.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Colman & Carrick to this entry?)

Anagrams

• waddle