idler

[ ahyd-ler ]

noun

1. a person who passes time in a lazy or unproductive way.
2. Machinery. an idle gear, wheel, or pulley.
3. Railroads. an empty freight car placed under the projecting end of a long object carried by the next car, so that the latter can be connected with another part of the train.
4. Nautical. day man ( def 2 ).

idler

/ ˈaɪdlə /

noun

1. a person who idles
2. another name for idle pulley idle wheel
3. nautical a ship's crew member, such as a carpenter, sailmaker, etc, whose duties do not include standing regular watches

Word History and Origins

Origin of idler¹

First recorded in 1525–35; idle + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Ripley, a slacker and a con man grinding out a living in postwar New York, is sent to Italy to try to persuade a trust-funded idler to come home and take over the family business.

From New York Times

There is an almost continuous succession of scenes in which Nicholson sketches this idler, lover, jokester, manipulator, con man, gambler, loner.

From Los Angeles Times

Among other things, the authors described Britons as “among the worst idlers in the world.”

From New York Times

In 2012 he contributed to a more overtly political tract called “Britannia Unchained” — a paean of praise to free markets that described the British as “among the worst idlers in the world.”

From New York Times

A decade ago they were co-authors of the political treatise “Britannia Unchained,” which notoriously included the claim that British workers are “among the worst idlers in the world.”

From Seattle Times