loiter

Word family

loi·ter /ˈlɔɪtə $ -ər/ verb [intransitiveI]

1 WAITto stand or wait somewhere, especially in a public place, without any clear reason 〔尤指在公共场所〕闲逛，游荡 SYN hang about, hang around

Five or six teenagers were loitering in front of the newsagent’s.

五六个青少年在报摊前面游荡。

► see thesaurus at stay

2. SLOWto move or do something slowly, or to keep stopping when you should keep moving 磨蹭；走走停停

Examples from the Corpus

loiter• A policeman had suspected them for loitering about, they wouldn't give a reasonable explanation or account of themselves.• He looked at Kopyion, loitering as if he wanted to say something.• But two blackshirts loitered behind him anyway.• Their blunt heads were clearly visible as they loitered, grey-black like bow-headed submarines.• He loitered in the parking lot, pleasantly bemused by the coquettish chatter of juniors who courted him.• Teens were loitering in the parking lot.• Since then, the wealthier children have headed out to the suburbs, where loitering is legal.• I loitered on street corners staring at caterpillars fallen to the sidewalk.• No one has time to loiter over a meal these days.• Schools of sunfish still loiter there, and Stuart hooks one of their members and stiff-poles it right in.

Origin loiter

(1400-1500) Probably from Middle Dutch loteren “to be loose”

loi·ter verb

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus