sidle

American  

[sahyd-l] / ˈsaɪd l /

verb (used without object)

sidled, sidling

1. to move sideways or obliquely.

2. to edge along furtively.

---

noun

1. a sidling movement.

sidle British  

/ ˈsaɪdəl /

verb

1. to move in a furtive or stealthy manner; edge along

2. to move along sideways

---

noun

1. a sideways movement

Other Word Forms

• sidler noun
• sidlingly adverb
• unsidling adjective

Etymology

Origin of sidle

First recorded in 1690–1700; back formation from sideling (earlier spelling sidling misconstrued as present participle of a verb ending in -le )

Example Sentences

Glory sidled up closer to Danny, both of them staring at the man in awe.

From Literature

One morning he sidled up next to me after roll call and tucked a hunk of bread into my hand, imploring, “Eat. You’re wasting away.”

From Literature

Christopher was about to point it out to Mal when a woman sidled up to them.

From Literature

One thing that worked in Dos Santos’ favor, Thorrington said, was the number of players who sidled up to say how much they wanted to play for Dos Santos.

From Los Angeles Times

Back outside, a crowd surrounded the sisters, but held back until one woman sidled up to the pair and whispered “Photo?”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• saunter