▪ I. truant, n. (a.)
(ˈtruːənt)
Forms: α. 3– truant, 4 -ont, (pl. -ons), truan, 4–5 truaunt, 5 truwaunt(e, (trwaunt), truaund, 6 -ande, (-ent), 6–7 truand. β. 4–6 trewaunt, 5 -aund(e, 5–6 -ante, 6 -ande, (trewnt), 6–7 trewant, -and, 7 treuant. γ. 4–5 trowaunt, 5 -ande, (-awnt, -ent, -ean, trovwont, trownt), 5–6 trowan(e, 6 -ant, trouant. δ. dial. 8–9 troant, 9 troan, trawn, trown. See also trivant.
[ME. a. OF. truant, F. truand adj. (12th c. in Godef.), (now only) as n. = Prov. truan, Sp. truhan, Pg. truão; prob. from a Celtic source (Thurneysen): cf. Welsh truan wretched, a wretch, Gael. truaghan wretched, trudanach vagabond.]
A. n.
† 1. One who begs without justification; a sturdy beggar; a vagabond; an idle rogue or knave. (Often a mere term of abuse.) Obs.
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 60/240 Manie heolden him [St. Francis] a truant. 1340 Ayenb. 174 Þe truont..þet sseweþ hare pouerte and hare ziknesse..uor to habbe þe elmesse. c 1425 tr. Arderne's Treat. Fistula 100 Ribaldez and trowans..þat felawshypeþ þam by þe waiez to pilgrimez, þat þai may robbe þam of þair siluer. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xxii. 490 Now shall I be a goode trewaunt, for I can well aske brede whan me nedeth. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 224 b, Obey your..rulers, although they be trewantes, that is to saye..though they..be not so good and vertuous as they sholde be. 1599 Shakes. Much Ado iii. ii. 18 Hang him truant, there's no true drop of bloud in him to be truly toucht with loue. 1656 Blount Glossogr., Truand (Fr.), a common beggar, a lazie rascal, a vagabond; a knave, a scowndrel. [1895 J. C. Beckwith tr. Hugo's Notre Dame ii. vi. I. 147 Such law as you mete to the Truands (vagabonds and outlaws), the Truands mete to you.] |
2. a. A lazy, idle person; esp. a child who absents himself from school without leave; hence fig., one who wanders from an appointed place or neglects his duty or business.
| c 1449 Pecock Repr. ii. xii. (Rolls) 219 Truauntis in the scole of God. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. V 61 b, I am not so loiteryng a truand as to forgette so good a lesson. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, ii. iv. 7. 1596 ― 1 Hen. IV, v. i. 94, I haue a Truant beene to Chiualry. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 160 When the Swarms..loath their empty Hives, and idly stray,..take A timely Care to bring the Truants back. 1770 Goldsm. Des. Vill. 198 The village master..A man severe he was,..I knew him well, and every truant knew. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. I. xxix. 398 One of our dogs, a truant from Morton's team. |
b. Phr. to play truant; also formerly † to play the truant, -s (obs.). Const. from, to.
| 1560 Nice Wanton A ij, Be ye not ashamed the treauandes to play? 1598 Shakes. Merry W. v. i. 27 Since I pluckt Geese, plaide Trewant, and whipt Top, I knew not what 'twas to be beaten, till lately. 1642 Rogers Naaman 93 That so they may shun this sharpe Schoolemaster by playing the trewants. 1834 Medwin Angler in Wales I. viii. 129, I was scarcely breeched when I used to play the truant. 1887 Bowen Virg. æneid v. 845 Rest those brows, let wearied eyes play truant to toil. |
B. adj.
1. a. That is a truant, or plays truant; idle, lazy, loitering, esp. of a child, staying from school without leave; hence, wandering, straying.
| a 1550 Hye Way to Spyttel Ho. 43 in Hazl. E.P.P. IV. 24 These trewant beggers begging fro place to place. 1561 J. Awdelay Frat. Vacab. (1869) 13 A Trewand knaue that faineth himselfe sicke when he should woorke. 1615 A. Stafford Heav. Dogge 59 To behold an austere..Philosopher..quake at the name of death, even as a treuant boy does at the name of his Tutor. 1784 Cowper Task i. 114 E'er since, a truant boy, I passed my bounds. 1791 E. Darwin Bot. Gard. i. 54 Down the steep slopes He led..The willing pathway, and the truant rill. 1793 Wordsw. (ed. 1) Descr. Sketches 49 Through her truant pathway's native charms. 1824 W. Irving T. Trav. I. ii. vii. 259 This freak of fancy made me more truant from my studies than ever. 1869 H. F. Tozer Highl. Turkey I. 318 We recovered the truant saddle. |
b. Characterized or marked by truancy or idleness; befitting a truant or idler.
| 1602 Shakes. Ham. i. ii. 169 But what in faith make you from Wittemberge? Hor. A truant disposition, good my Lord. 1649 Milton Eikon. xvi. 152 Wee are not..to distrust God in the removal of that Truant help to our Devotion, which by him was never appointed. 1803 Scott Let. to G. Ellis 25 May in Lockhart, My truant days spent in London having thrown me a little behind. |
† 2. Trivial, trite; idle, vain. Obs. rare.
| a 1572 Knox Hist. Ref. iii. Wks. 1848 II. 141 We should nott wonder albeit that the auld trowane verse be trew, Patrem sequitur sua proles. 1682 Oldham 8th Sat. Boileau Imit. 49 So fam'd for many a truant jest On wiving. |
C. Comb., as truant-like adj.; truant-inspector, a school attendance officer; truant officer U.S. = truant-inspector; truant-school, an industrial school to which truant or other children may be sent by order of a magistrate.
| 1583 B. Melbancke Philotimus M j, A trewantlike barrister. 1628 Ford Lover's Mel. i. i, If my experience hath not, truant-like, Mispent the time..For bettering my mind. 1872 C. L. Brace Dangerous Classes N.Y. 348 The Massachusetts system of ‘Truant-schools’—that is, Schools to which truant officers could send children habitually truant—does not seem so applicable to New York. 1882 Standard 31 Aug. 2/4 Truant Schools have..been doing good work in checking truancy. 1891 E. Kinglake Australian at H. 22 Attendance officers, called truant inspectors, go and examine the books of the state schools periodically, and then visit the parents of those children who have not fulfilled the required conditions. 1911 G. F. Ward in S. M. Kingsbury Labor Laws 181 The truant officer finds that no certificate has been issued from the central office. 1972 T. Kochman Rappin' & stylin' Out 249 What do you do when you ditch school and..a truant officer walks up. |
Hence ˈtruantness (truanness), truancy.
| 1483 Cath. Angl. 394/2 Trowannes, trutannitas. 1658 J. Jones tr. Ovid's Ibis 52 Boys will excuse the fault of Treuantness by the sin of lying. |
▪ II. ˈtruant, v.
Forms: see the n.
[ME. f. prec.: cf. obs. F. truander (12th c. in Godef. Compl.), f. truand truant.]
† 1. intr. To play the vagabond or rogue. Obs.
| c 1400 Rom. Rose 6721 Somme maner crafte..Thurgh which without truaundyng He may..haue his lyuyng. c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode iii. xxiii. (1869) 148 Wel thei kunne glooven maungepayn whan thei wolen trewande ther⁓with. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 503/2 Trovwonton (S. trownton, P. trowantyn), trutannizo, Cath. |
2. intr. To idle, play truant (esp. from school); to wander, stray. Also with it.
| 1580 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 279 What made the Gods so often to trewant from Heauen? 1637 Heywood Dial. Wks. 1874 VI. 285, I must..truly study man, (A booke in which I yet have truanted). 1642 Fuller Holy & Prof. St. i. ix. 24 He will not truant it now in the afternoon. 1748 Richardson Clarissa (1811) V. i. 6 Her good angel is gone a journey: is truanting at least. 1879 M. Pattison Milton xii. 143 He returned with concentrated ardour to woo the muse, from whom he had so long truanted. |
† 3. trans. To waste or idle away (time); to spend in truanting. Obs.
| 1597 1st Pt. Return fr. Parnass. iii. i. 1115 In trewantinge there time, wastinge whole years. 1638 Ford Fancies iii. iii, I dare not be the author Of truanting the time. 1708 Ozell tr. Boileau's Lutrin iii. 120 A heedless Troop of wanton Boys..In idle Pastime truanting the Day. |
b. To play truant from. dial.
| 1899 Crockett Kit Kennedy xii. 95 Kit Kennedy,..Ye troaned the schule yesterday. |
Hence ˈtruanting ppl. a.
| 1634 Rainbow Labour (1635) 25, 't has given the truanting world a desired play-day. |