To move slowly or aimlessly, or to dawdle without purpose.
Origin uncertain, possibly related to Middle English 'dadel' or dialectal English. The exact root is unclear, but it may derive from imitative origins suggesting slow, listless movement similar to 'dawdle.'
This word is a perfect example of how English absorbed dozens of near-synonyms for procrastination and slow movement—daddle, dawdle, dally, and dither all emerged from similar sound-based roots, giving speakers precise ways to describe different flavors of wasting time.
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