▪ I. loll, n.
(lɒl)
[f. loll v.1]
1. The action or posture of lolling. † Also at loll, upon the (high) loll.
| 1709 Mrs. Manley Secret Mem. (1736) I. 21 Who is that graceful Person that appears upon the high Loll in his Chariot and six Horses? Ibid. 152 See that beautiful Gentleman at Loll in the next Chariot. 1709 Swift Tatler No. 71 ¶7 In reading Prayers, he has such a careless Loll, that People are justly offended at his irreverent Posture. 1775 S. J. Pratt Liberal Opin. lxvii. (1783) II. 256 He was, in short, all laugh, loll, and liberty. 1868 Browning Ring & Bk. v. 530 The old abundant city-fare was best,..down to the loll itself O' the pot-house settle,—better such a bench Than [etc.]. |
2. One who lolls; an idle person. Also, a thing that lolls, e.g. a tongue.
| 1582 Stanyhurst æneis iii. (Arb.) 84 Then a tayle lyke a dolphin is added Iumbled vp of sauadge fel woulfs, with grislye lol hanging. 1600 Breton Pasquil's Mad-cappe 26 Then let a knaue be knowne to be a knaue,..A Lobbe a Lowte, a heavy Loll a Logge. a 1807 J. Skinner Poet. Pieces (1809) 48 A mischievous pair O' mawten'd lolls. |
3. A pet, a spoilt child. dial.
| 1728 Morgan Hist. Algiers I. Pref. p. xvii, The..Unmannerliness of this Mam's Loll. 1785 Grose Dict. Vulg. Tongue, Loll, mother's loll, a favourite child, the mother's darling. 1847–78 in Halliwell (Oxon.). |
▪ II. loll, v.1
(lɒl)
Also 4–6 lolle, 4, 6, 8 lull(e.
[App. due to a sense of the expressiveness of the sound (with the repeated l) suggestive of rocking or swinging; cf. lull v. and MDu. lollen to sleep, early mod.Du. lollebanck (Kilian) couch, sofa; also mod.Du. dial. lollen to warm oneself with a pot of charcoal placed under one's seat. With sense 3 cf. lill v.]
1. intr. To hang down loosely; to droop, dangle. Also with down. ? Obs. or arch.
| 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. v. 110 Lyk a leþerne pors lullede [1393 lollid] his chekes. c 1394 P. Pl. Crede 224 His chin wiþ a chol lollede As greet as a gos eye. c 1449 Pecock Repr. iii. xiv. 374 Robyn rode without stiropis, eke thanne his legge lollid. 1575 Turberv. Faulconrie 339 Sometymes a hawke hathe a strype on his wing..so as..it hangeth alwayes downe and lolleth. 1578 Lyte Dodoens iv. xii. 465 When it rayneth muche, it maketh the leaues to loll and hang downewarde. 1845 H. B. Hirst Poems 75 The lady is pale—Pale as the lily that lolls on the gale. 1849 James Woodman iv, A great white feather lolling down till it touched his left shoulder. |
† b. To swing, hang, be suspended. Obs.
| ? c 1418 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 243 The game is not to lolle so hie Ther fete failen fondement. |
¶ c. Alleged by Langland to have formerly meant: To halt, be lame. Obs.
| 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. x. 215 Now kyndeliche, by crist beþ suche callyd ‘lolleres’, As by englisch of oure eldres of olde menne techynge. He þat lolleþ is lame oþer his leg oute of ioynte, Oþer meymed in som membre, for to meschief hit souneþ. And ryght so sothlyche suche manere eremytes Lollen aȝen þe byleyue and lawe of holy churche. |
† 2. trans. To let droop or dangle. Also to loll up: to hang.
| 13.. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS. (E.E.T.S.) 614/75 Mi loue i-lolled vp in þe eyr, Wiþ cradel bond I gan him bynde. Cros! he stikeþ nou on þi steir, Naked a-ȝeyn þe wylde wynde. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xii. 191 A meri verset, Þat has take fro tybourne twenti stronge þeues; Þere lewed theues ben lolled vp. 1575 Turberv. Faulconrie 360 Of the Hawke that holdeth not hir wings up so well as she should do, but lolleth them. 1650 A. B. Mutat. Polemo 29 This made the Gallants loll their ears and laugh at one an other. |
3. To thrust out (the tongue) in a pendulous manner. Also with out.
| 1611 Shakes. Cymb. v. iii. 8 The Enemy full-hearted, Lolling the Tongue with slaught'ring. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 741 Fierce Tigers couch'd around, and loll'd their fawning Tongues. ― æneid viii. 843 The foster Dam loll'd out her fawning Tongue. 1712 Arbuthnot John Bull iii. x, Then Nic. lolled out his tongue. 1746 W. Horsley Fool (1748) II. 40 Every Fool has a natural hereditary..Right to loll out his Tongue at his Brother. 1843 Lytton Last Bar. i. i, The idle apprentices..lolled out their tongues at him as he passed. 1879 Browning Ivan Ivanovitch 132 How he lolls out the length of his tongue. |
b. intr. for refl. Of the tongue: To protrude. Usually with out.
| 1801 Southey Thalaba v. ii, His head was hanging down, His dry tongue lolling low. a 1845 Hood Captain's Cow x, The Parching seamen stood about, Each with his tongue a-lolling out, And panting like a dog. 1900 Longm. Mag. June 133 His tongue lolled out in the heat like a dog's. |
4. intr. (The chief current sense.) To lean idly; to recline or rest in a relaxed attitude, supporting oneself against something. Also with about, back, out.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xvi. 269 Or ligge þus euere Lollynge in my lappe. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 28 A sheepeheard and a dogge lolling vnder a bush. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, iii. vii. 72 He is not lulling on a lewd Loue-Bed. 1635 E. Pagitt Christianogr. 30 This pope Gregory..is reported to have lulled night and day..in the armes and embracings of Matilda the countesse. 1650 Sir A. Weldon Court & Char. Jas. I 103 The King hung about his neck, slabboring his cheeks... For God's sake, tel me, said the King..Then lolled about his neck. 1667 Pepys Diary 5 June, And, among the rest, Duncomb, lolling, with his heels upon another chair. 1674 Dryden Epil. New Ho. 9 Who lolling on our foremost benches sit. 1719 De Foe Crusoe ii. xiii, He sat lolling back in a great elbow-chair. 1749 Ld. Chesterfield Lett. cxv. (1892) I. 265, I never saw the worst bred man living guilty of lolling,..in company that he respected. 1778 W. Marshall Minutes Agric. 18 July 1774 He has good hands, but a bad head—a crazy couch, dangerous to lull upon. 1782 F. Burney Cecilia ii. iv, Lolling against the wainscoat and gaping. 1822–34 Good's Study Med. (ed. 4) III. 246 The complaint first shows itself by..an unwonted desire to lounge and loll about. 1833 H. Martineau Manch. Strike vii. 76 A knot of smokers..stood or lolled about the door of the Spread-Eagle. 1861 Thackeray Round. Papers, On a Chalk-mark 115 Little boys should not loll on chairs. 1882 M. E. Braddon Mt. Royal III. xii. 257 The Master of the house lolled, half-dressed, in an armchair by the hearth. |
b. trans. To allow to rest idly. rare. Also, to pass away (time) in lolling about.
| 1696 R. Coke Detection Crt. & State Eng. (1719) I. 87 The King had a loathsome Way of lolling his Arms about his Favourites Necks, and kissing them. 1709 Prior When Cat is Away 54 Whilst Fubb till ten, on silken bed, Securely lolls his drowsy head. 1784 Unfortunate Sensibility II. 104, I take good care that none [sc. no hour] shall be luxuriously lolled away in indolence. 1824 W. Irving T. Trav. II. 286 Gigantic sunflowers lolled their broad jolly faces over the fences. |
c. quasi-trans. or refl.; also to loll it.
| 1796 H. Hunter tr. St.-Pierre's Stud. Nat. (1799) I. 374 Others..loll it away to the opera..in magnificent equipages. 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. I. 77, I..loll'd me 'gainst a propping tree. |
† 5. intr. To saunter, go lazily. Obs. rare.
| 1649 G. Daniel Trinarch., Hen. V, ccxliv, Hee breakes the Portall, w{supt}{suph} vnsteddie feet, And Lolls to his owne Lamplight in coole Seas. 1678 Otway Friendship in F. iii. 32 My revenge shall be to love you still; gloat on and loll after you where ere I see you. |
† 6. Comb.: loll-ears, drooping pendulous ears; loll-eared a., having drooping ears.
| 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 109 Unlesse some Phebus have clouted upon this Mydas head..the eares of some lolleared Asse. Ibid. 125 b, Skill to discerne a Lyon by his pawes, or rather an Asse by his lolle-eares. 1585 Higins Junius' Nomenclator 453 Flaccus, that hath hanging eares: loll eared: flap eared. |
Hence lolled (lolled out) ppl. a., said of the tongue.
| 1666 Dryden Ann. Mirab. 132 With his lolled tongue he faintly licks his prey. 1715 tr. Pancirollus' Rerum Mem. I. i. i. 5 The Slanderer is represented by the Picture of a Purple with its lolled-out Tongue. 1902 Academy 3 May 455/2 Irreverence that expressed itself in loud laughter and a lolled-out tongue. |
▪ III. † loll, v.2 Obs.
[back-formation from Lollard.]
a. trans. To call (a person) Lollard. b. intr. To act or speak as a Lollard. c. trans. To mumble (a phrase); to sing in a low tone.
| c 1394 P. Pl. Crede 532 Whou sone þis sori men [seweden] his soule, And oueral lollede him wiþ heretykes werkes! 14.. Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 245 And pardé lolle thei never so longe, Yut wol lawe make hem lowte. 1655 J. Cotgrave Wits Interpr. (1662) 288 The Sun-shine of the word, this he extoll'd; The Sun-shine of the word, stil this he lold. |
▪ IV. loll
var. lull v. Obs., to pull by the ears.