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Webster 1913 Edition
Dally
Dal′ly
(dăl′ly̆)
, Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Dallied
(dăl′lĭd)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Dallying
.] [OE.
dalien
, dailien
; cf. Icel. pylja
to talk, G. dallen
, dalen
, dahlen
, to trifle, talk nonsense, OSw. tule
a droll or funny man; or AS. dol
foolish, E. dull
.] 1.
To waste time in effeminate or voluptuous pleasures, or in idleness; to fool away time; to delay unnecessarily; to tarry; to trifle.
We have trifled too long already; it is madness to
dally
any longer. Calamy.
We have put off God, and
dallied
with his grace. Barrow.
2.
To interchange caresses, especially with one of the opposite sex; to use fondling; to wanton; to sport.
Not
dallying
with a brace of courtesans. Shakespeare
Our aerie . . .
dallies
with the wind. Shakespeare
Dal′ly
,Verb.
T.
To delay unnecessarily; to while away.
Dallying
off the time with often skirmishes. Knolles.
Webster 1828 Edition
Dally
DAL'LY
, v.i.1.
Literally, to delay; to linger; to wait. Hence.2.
To trifle; to lose time in idleness and trifles; to amuse one's self with idle play.It is madness to dally any longer. Calamy.
3.
To toy and wanton, as man and woman; to interchange caresses; to fondle.4.
To sport; to play.She dallies with the wind. Shak.
DAL'LY
,Verb.
T.