Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
adj
Industrious; assiduous; continually busy; diligent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Northern-England, Scotland, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Plodding; constant; continual.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Northern-England, Scotland, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Conscientious; considerate; watchful; careful; attentive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Northern-England, Scotland, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Continuous; persistent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Northern-England, Scotland, obsolete, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
From Middle English ithand, an alteration (due to assimilation to suffix -and) of Middle English ithen (“diligent”), from Old Norse iðinn (“assiduous, diligent”), from iðja, iðna (“to do, perform”), from ið (“a restless motion”). Cognate with Icelandic iðinn (“diligent”), Norwegian idig (“busy”), Danish idelig (“continual”), and perhaps to English eddy.
