loiter

Etymology

From Middle English loitren, from Middle Dutch loteren (“to shake, wag, wobble”), ultimately connected with a frequentative form of Proto-Germanic *lūtaną (“to bend, stoop, cower, shrink from, decline”), see lout. Cognate with Modern Dutch leuteren (“to dawdle”), Alemannic German lottern (“to wobble”), German Lotterbube (“rascal”). More at lout, little.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈlɔɪtə(ɹ)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈlɔɪtɚ/, [ˈlɔjɾɚ]

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔɪtə(r)

Verb

loiter (third-person singular simple present loiters, present participle loitering, simple past and past participle loitered)

1. To stand about without any aim or purpose; to stand about idly

   Synonyms: lepak (Malaysia, Singapore), linger, hang around

   For some reason, they discourage loitering outside the store, but encourage it inside.

   • 2015 January 31, Daniel Taylor, “David Silva seizes point for Manchester City as Chelsea are checked”, in The Guardian‎, London, archived from the original on 8 March 2017:

     [Sergio] Agüero, as usual, was loitering with intent and swung his left foot at the ball. The shot was going wide but [David] Silva was there to apply the decisive touch inside the six-yard area.

Anagrams

• Loiret, toiler, triole