Forms: see the sb. [ME. f. prec.: cf. obs. F. truander (12th c. in Godef., Compl.), f. truand TRUANT.]
† 1. intr. To play the vagabond or rogue. Obs.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 6721. Somme maner crafte … Thurgh which without truaundyng He may … haue his lyuyng.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, III. xxiii. (1869), 148. Wel thei kunne glooven maungepayn whan thei wolen trewande therwith.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 503/2. Trovwonton (S. trownton, P. trowantyn), trutannizo, Cath.
2. intr. To idle, play truant (esp. from school); to wander, stray. Also with it.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 279. What made the Gods so often to trewant from Heauen?
1637. Heywood, Dial., Wks. 1874, VI. 285. I must … truly study man, (A booke in which I yet have truanted).
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., I. ix. 24. He will not truant it now in the afternoon.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), V. i. 6. Her good angel is gone a journey: is truanting at least.
1879. M. Pattison, Milton, xii. 143. He returned with concentrated ardour to woo the muse, from whom he had so long truanted.
† 3. trans. To waste or idle away (time); to spend in truanting. Obs.
1597. 1st Pt. Return fr. Parnass., III. i. 1115. In trewantinge there time, wastinge whole years.
1638. Ford, Fancies, III. iii. I dare not be the author Of truanting the time.
1708. Ozell, trans. Boileau’s Lutrin, III. 120. A hecdless Troop of wanton Boys … In idle Pastime truanting the Day.
b. To play truant from. dial.
1899. Crockett, Kit Kennedy, xii. 95. Kit Kennedy,… Ye troaned the schule yesterday.
Hence Truanting ppl. a.
1634. Rainbow, Labour (1635), 25. ’t has given the truanting world a desired play-day.
