loiter — to stand or wait around idly or without apparent purpose
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to stand or wait around idly or without apparent purpose
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈlɔɪtər/
Example Sentences
- The mall security asked the teenagers to stop loitering near the food court.
- My cat likes to loiter by the kitchen when I'm cooking, hoping for treats.
- Don't loiter after school; go straight home to study for the exam.
loiter
VERB[/ˈlɔɪtər/]
to stand or wait around idly or without apparent purpose
The teens loiter outside the convenience store, sipping sodas with nowhere to be.
LO (low speed) + ITER (repeat) — by moving at a LO (low) speed and choosing to ITER (repeat) his steps in a circle, the man continued to loiter.
Acting like a lazy waiter who decides to do his job later, he just continued to loiter by the kitchen door.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Middle Dutch 'loteren' meaning to wag or move restlessly, likely related to the concept of moving about without purpose or direction.
Breakdown
loiter (single morpheme from Middle Dutch 'loteren') = to stand or wait around idly without a clear morphological breakdown into constituent parts
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The mall security asked the teenagers to stop loitering near the food court.”
“My cat likes to loiter by the kitchen when I'm cooking, hoping for treats.”
“Don't loiter after school; go straight home to study for the exam.”
“The suspicious man was loitering outside the bank for hours before the police arrived.”
📚Related Words
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