Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Sloth
1.
Slowness; tardiness.
These cardinals trifle with me; I abhor
This dilatory
This dilatory
sloth
and tricks of Rome. Shakespeare
2.
Disinclination to action or labor; sluggishness; laziness; idleness.
[They] change their course to pleasure, ease, and
sloth
. Milton.
Sloth
, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears. Franklin.
3.
(Zool.)
Any one of several species of arboreal edentates constituting the family
Bradypodidae
, and the suborder Tardigrada. They have long exserted limbs and long prehensile claws. Both jaws are furnished with teeth (see Illust. of Edentata
), and the ears and tail are rudimentary. They inhabit South and Central America and Mexico. ☞ The three-toed sloths belong to the genera
Various large extinct terrestrial edentates, such as Megatherium and Mylodon, are often called
Bradypus
and Arctopithecus
, of which several species have been described. They have three toes on each foot. The best-known species are collared sloth (Bradypus tridactylus
), and the ai (Arctopitheus ai
). The two-toed sloths, consisting the genus Cholopus
, have two toes on each fore foot and three on each hind foot. The best-known is the unau (Cholopus didactylus
) of South America. See Unau
. Another species (Cholopus Hoffmanni
) inhabits Central America.Various large extinct terrestrial edentates, such as Megatherium and Mylodon, are often called
sloths
. Australian sloth
, or
Native sloth
(Zool.)
, the koala.
– Sloth animalcule
(Zool.)
, a tardigrade.
– Sloth bear
(Zool.)
, a black or brown long-haired bear (
– Melursus ursinus
, or Melursus labiatus
), native of India and Ceylon; – called also aswail
, labiated bear
, and jungle bear
. It is easily tamed and can be taught many tricks. Sloth monkey
(Zool.)
, a loris.
Sloth
,Verb.
I.
To be idle.
[Obs.]
Gower.
Webster 1828 Edition
Sloth
SLOTH
,Noun.
1.
Slowness; tardiness I abhor this dilatory sloth and tricks of Rome.2.
Disinclination to action or labor; sluggishness; laziness; idleness. They change their course to pleasure, ease and sloth. Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears.3.
An animal, so called from the remarkable slowness of his motions. There are two species of this animal; the ai or three toed sloth, and the unau or two toed sloth; both found in South America. It is said that its greatest speed seldom exceeds three yard an hour. it feeds on vegetables and ruminates.SLOTH
,Verb.
I.
Definition 2024
sloth
sloth
See also: slóð
English
A sloth (2)
Alternative forms
- sloath, slowth (obsolete)
Noun
sloth (countable and uncountable, plural sloths)
- (uncountable) Laziness; slowness in the mindset; disinclination to action or labour.
- Milton
- [They] change their course to pleasure, ease, and sloth.
- Franklin
- Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labour wears.
- Milton
- (countable) A herbivorous, arboreal South American mammal of the families Megalonychidae and Bradypodidae, noted for its slowness and inactivity.
- (rare) A collective term for a group of bears.
Usage notes
Sloth is one of the seven deadly sins.
Derived terms
Derived terms
|
|
Hyponyms
- (animal): two-toed sloth
Related terms
Translations
laziness
|
|
mammal
|
|
Verb
sloth (third-person singular simple present sloths, present participle slothing, simple past and past participle slothed)
- (obsolete, intransitive) To be idle.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Gower to this entry?)
External links
- sloth in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- sloth in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911