different between dawdle vs prance

English

Etymology

First attested around 1656; variant of daddle (“to walk unsteadily”), perhaps influenced by daw, since the bird was regarded as sluggish and silly. Not in general use until around 1775. Compare also German daddeln (“to play”), German verdaddeln (“to waste (time), neglect, ruin”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?d??d?l/
• Rhymes: -??d?l
• Homophone: doddle (in accents with the cot-caught merger)

Verb

dawdle (third-person singular simple present dawdles, present participle dawdling, simple past and past participle dawdled)

1. (intransitive) To spend time idly and unfruitfully; to waste time.
2. (transitive) To spend (time) without haste or purpose.

3. (intransitive) To move or walk lackadaisically.

Translations

See also

• dally, dander, dandle, diddle, loaf, piddle, wander, doodle

Noun

dawdle (plural dawdles)

1. A dawdler.
   • 1766, George Colman the Elder and David Garrick, The Clandestine Marriage, Act I, page 13

     Where is this dawdle of a housekeeper?

2. A slow walk, journey.
3. An easily accomplished task; a doddle.

Anagrams

• Dewald, Waddle, dwaled, waddle, walded

English

Etymology

From Middle English prancen, prauncen (“to prance; literally, to show off”), variant of Middle English pranken (“to prank”). Cognate with Bavarian prangezen, prangssen (“to put on airs”), Alemannic German pranzen (“to strut”). More at prank.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /p?æn(t)s/
• Rhymes: -æns
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /p???n(t)s/
• Rhymes: -??ns

Verb

prance (third-person singular simple present prances, present participle prancing, simple past and past participle pranced)

1. (of a horse) To spring forward on the hind legs.
2. (colloquial, figuratively) To strut about in a showy manner.

Derived terms

• prancesome
• prancy

Translations

Noun

prance (plural prances)

1. A prancing movement.
   • D. H. Lawrence, The Rainbow

     There seemed a little prance of triumph in his movement,

Anagrams

• parcen