Truant | Webster's Dictionary (1865)

Tru'ant, a.

adjective

a. [See infra.] Wandering from business; loitering; idle, and shirking duty; as, a truant boy.

While truant Jove, in infant pride, Played barefoot on Olympus' side. Trumbull.

Tru'ant, n.

noun

n. [Fr. truand, O. Fr. truant, a vagrant, beggar, Pr. truan, f. truanda, Sp. truhan, Pg. trudão, L. Lat. truanus, trutanus, trudanus, of Celtic origin; W. tru, truan, wretched, miserable, Armor. truant, vagabond, Gael. & Ir. truaghan, a poor, distressed, or wretched creature, truagh, wretched.] One who stays away from business or duty; an idler; a loiterer; a shirk. I have a truant been to chivalry. Shak.

To play truant, to stray away; to idle; to loiter.

Tru'ant, v. i.

verbintransitive

[Fr. truander, Pr. truandar, Sp. truhanear.] To idle away time; to loiter or be absent from employment. [Rare.] Shak.

Tru'ant, v. t.

verbtransitive

To idle away; to waste. [Rare.]

I dare not be the author Of truanting the time. Ford.