Dictionary

idly en · ADV · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈaɪd(ə)lɪ/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English idely, ydelly, idelliche, from Old English īdellīċe, equivalent to idle + -ly.

Meanings

1. Without specific purpose, intent or effort.
   • I idly played with the paper, not even realizing I was folding it into a paper airplane.
2. In an idle manner.

Forms

Deriveds

sit idly by

Translations (7)

hu szórakozottan (without specific purpose, intent or effort) · pl bezczynnie (in an idle manner) · enm ydelly (without specific purpose, intent or effort) · izh jouten (without specific purpose, intent or effort) · eo senokupe (in an idle manner) · enm ydelly (in an idle manner) · hu tétlenül (in an idle manner)

idly en · NOUN · etymology 2

Etymology

From Tamil இட்லி (iṭli), Kannada ಇಡ್ಲಿ (iḍli).

Meanings

1. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative spelling of idli.
   alt of idli
   • A Tamil breakfast starts with idly (steamed rice cakes) with sambhar (hot, spicy and sour lentils with vegetables) and rasams (broth of lentil, spiced) and upma (cooked course wheat), lunch is generally dosai (thin crepes), vadas (deep fried nuggets of lentils) with sambhar. 2010 September 27, KRISHNA GOPAL DUBEY, THE INDIAN CUISINE, PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd., →ISBN, page 246:

Forms