transcription, транскрипция: [ aɪd(ə)l ]
( idles, idling, idled)
1.
If people who were working are idle , they have no jobs or work.
Employees have been idle almost a month because of shortages.
ADJ : v-link ADJ
2.
If machines or factories are idle , they are not working or being used.
Now the machine is lying idle.
ADJ : v-link ADJ
3.
If you say that someone is idle , you disapprove of them because they are not doing anything and you think they should be.
...idle bureaucrats who spent the day reading newspapers...
ADJ [ disapproval ]
• idle‧ness
Idleness is a very bad thing for human nature.
N-UNCOUNT
• idly
We were not idly sitting around.
ADV : ADV with v
4.
Idle is used to describe something that you do for no particular reason, often because you have nothing better to do.
Brian kept up the idle chatter for another five minutes.
ADJ : ADJ n
• idly
We talked idly about magazines and baseball...
ADV : ADV with v , ADV adj
5.
You refer to an idle threat or boast when you do not think the person making it will or can do what they say.
It was more of an idle threat than anything...
= empty
ADJ : ADJ n
6.
To idle a factory or other place of work means to close it down because there is no work to do or because the workers are on strike. ( AM BUSINESS; in BRIT, usually use shut down )
...idled assembly plants.
VERB : V-ed , also V n
7.
To idle workers means to stop them working. ( AM BUSINESS; in BRIT, use lay off )
The strike has idled about 55,000 machinists.
VERB : V n
8.
If an engine or vehicle is idling , the engine is running slowly and quietly because it is not in gear, and the vehicle is not moving.
Beyond a stand of trees a small plane idled...
VERB : V