idle

adjective (idler, idlest)

• 1(of a person) avoiding work; lazy:idle students
• (of a person) not working; unemployed: 10.3 per cent of the workforce is now idle
• (especially of a machine or factory) not active or in use:the mill has been standing idle for eight years
• [attributive] (of time) characterized by inaction or absence of significant activity:at no time in the day must there be an idle moment

• 2without purpose or effect; pointless:he did not want to waste valuable time in idle chatter
• (especially of a threat or boast) without foundation:I knew Ellen did not make idle threats

• 3(of money) held in cash or in accounts paying no interest.

verb

• 1 [no object] spend time doing nothing:four men were idling outside the shop [with object]:we idled the afternoon away
• [no object, with adverbial of direction] move aimlessly or lazily:Robert idled along the pavement
• [with object] North American take out of use or employment:he will close the newspaper, idling 2,200 workers

• 2(of an engine) run slowly while disconnected from a load or out of gear:Nadine kept the engine idling
• [with object] cause (an engine) to idle.