drawl

EnglishEdit

EtymologyEdit

From a modern frequentative form of draw, equivalent to draw +‎ -le. Compare draggle. Compare also Dutch dralen (“to drag out, delay, linger, tarry, dawdle”), Old Danish dravle (“to linger, loiter”), Icelandic dralla (“to loiter, linger”).

PronunciationEdit

(UK) IPA^(key): /dɹɔːl/

Rhymes: -ɔːl

(US) IPA^(key): /dɹɔl/
(cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /dɹɑl/
(Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this pronunciation?) (US, paragon) IPA^(key): /dʒɹɑːw/

VerbEdit

drawl (third-person singular simple present drawls, present participle drawling, simple past and past participle drawled)

(transitive) To drag on slowly and heavily; while or dawdle away time indolently.
(transitive) To utter or pronounce in a dull, spiritless tone, as if by dragging out the utterance.
(intransitive) To move slowly and heavily; move in a dull, slow, lazy manner.
(intransitive) To speak with a slow, spiritless utterance, from affectation, laziness, or lack of interest.
- Landor
  Theologians and moralists […] talk mostly in a drawling and dreaming way about it.