sidle

American  

[sahyd-l] / ˈsaɪd l /

verb (used without object)

sidled, sidling

1. to move sideways or obliquely.

2. to edge along furtively.

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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

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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

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

As the doors to the ballroom were flung open and the other guests came in, the admiral sidled up to Penelope and spoke quietly into her ear.

From Literature

Now it has transformed itself into tumbleweed proper, sidling and bouncing wherever the wind chooses.

From The Wall Street Journal

That’s when one satellite sidles up to another and either fixes it or kills it, depending on whose satellite it is and what day of the week it is.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• saunter