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loiter'd

Verb
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Archaic past tense of "loiter": to linger or remain in a place aimlessly; in poetry, it creates a sense of reluctance, delay, or weary observation.

Detailed Definition
In older literary English, this verb often suggests hanging about idly or slowly, sometimes with a hint of suspicion or social judgment. Here it describes the woman “sitting down” and not moving on, which fits the poem’s bleak street scene.
Example
Example in poetry:
She turn'd her head and bade the child
That scream'd behind be still.
She told us that her husband served
A soldier, far away,
And therefore to her parish she
Was begging back her way.
Additional Notes
The form “loiter'd” is an older spelling, and the word itself may be less familiar in this context than common verbs like walk or stand.; Found in the poem, The Complaints of the Poor by Robert Southey
Also Known As
lingered dawdled tarried
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