sidle
UK /ˈsaɪdl/ · US /ˈsaɪdəl/ verb, noun, proper noun
Forms sidles sidling sidled
- verb (ambitransitive, also figuratively) To (cause something to) move sideways.
- verb (ambitransitive, also figuratively) In the intransitive sense often followed by up: to (cause something to) advance in a coy, furtive, or unobtrusive manner.
- noun A sideways movement.
- noun A furtive advance.
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
Etymology
The verb is from side + -le (frequentative suffix), possibly a back-formation from sideling (“in a sidelong direction; askew, obliquely”, adverb), treating that word as the present participle of sidle.
The noun is derived from the verb.
Variant of Siddall.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To go or move with one side foremost; to move sidewise; as, to sidle through a crowd or narrow opening. Swift.
Etymology [From Side.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “sidle”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details