Tru"ant, n. [F. truand, OF. truant, a vagrant, beggar; of Celtic origin; cf. W. tru, truan, wretched, miserable, truan a wretch, Ir. trogha miserable, Gael. truaghan a poor, distressed, or wretched creature, truagh wretched.]
One who stays away from business or any duty; especially, one who stays out of school without leave; an idler; a loiterer; a shirk.
Dryden.
I have a truant been to chivalry.
Shak.
To play truant, to stray away; to loiter; especially, to stay out of school without leave.
Sir T. Browne
© Webster 1913.
Tru"ant, a.
Wandering from business or duty; loitering; idle, and shirking duty; as, a truant boy.
While truant Jove, in infant pride,
Played barefoot on Olympus' side.
Trumbull.
© Webster 1913.
Tru"ant, v. i. [Cf. F. truander.]
To idle away time; to loiter, or wander; to play the truant.
Shak.
By this means they lost their time and truanted on the fundamental grounds of saving knowledge.
Lowell.
© Webster 1913.
Tru"ant, v. t.
To idle away; to waste.
[R.]
I dare not be the author
Of truanting the time.
Ford.
© Webster 1913.