idling

/ˈaɪdlɪŋ/
adjective
  1. Of an engine, running at low speed while the vehicle is stationary.
    • The idling engine hummed softly in the driveway.
    • He could hear the idling bus from inside the store.
    • The mechanic adjusted the idling speed of the motorcycle.
noun
  1. The state or act of running an engine at low speed while the vehicle or machine is not moving.
    • The engine's idling was so quiet she thought it was off.
    • Leaving the car idling wastes gas and pollutes the air.
    • The truck driver was fined for excessive idling.
  2. The act of spending time doing nothing or being lazy.
    • She felt guilty about her idling when there was so much to do.
    • Summer afternoons were made for idling in a hammock.
    • His constant idling at work got him a warning from the boss.
What does "idling" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean