See Also: truant(1)(dictionary)
truant(2)(dictionary)
truant(dictionary)

truant(1) (iou)



truant noun & adjective. ME.
[Old French (mod. truand) from Proto-Gallo-Romance, prob. of Celtic origin (cf. Welsh truan wretched (person), Gaelic truaghan Irish truaghan wretched).]
A. noun.
A person begging through choice rather than necessity; an able-bodied beggar, an idle rogue. Also gen. as a term of abuse. ME-M17.
A child who stays away from school without permission or explanation; a person who goes absent from work or who shirks his or her duty. LME.
play truant, play the truant stay away as a truant.
Shakespeare 1 Henry IV I have a truant been to chivalry. J. Calder He was a frequent truant from classes.
Comb.: truant-inspector, (US) truant officer a school attendance officer;
b. adjective.
a. That is a truant or plays truant; idle, lazy; shirking; wandering, straying. M16.
E. Darwin Down the steep slopes He led..The willing pathway, and the truant rill. J. C. Oates Mischievous as a truant schoolgirl.
b. Characterized or marked by truancy or idleness; befitting a truant or idler. E17.
Sir W. Scott My truant days..in London having thrown me a little behind.
Trivial, trite; vain. rare. L16-L17.