Also 4–6 lolle, 4, 6, 8 lull(e. [App. due to a sense of the expressiveness of the sound (with the repeated l) suggestive of rocking or swinging; cf. LULL v. and MDu. lollen to sleep, early mod.Du. lollebanck (Kilian) couch, sofa; also mod.Du. dial. lollen to warm oneself with a pot of charcoal placed under one’s seat. With sense 3 cf. LILL v.]
1. intr. To hang down loosely; to droop, dangle. Also with down. ? Obs. or arch.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. V. 110. Lyk a leþerne pors lullede [1393 lollid] his chekes.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 224. His chin wiþ a chol lollede As greet as a gos eye.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., III. xiv. 374. Robyn rode without stiropis, eke thanne his legge lollid.
1575. Turberv., Faulconrie, 339. Sometymes a hawke hathe a strype on his wing … so as … it hangeth alwayes downe and lolleth.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, IV. xii. 465. When it rayneth muche, it maketh the leaues to loll and hang downewarde.
1845. H. B. Hirst, Coming of Mammoth, etc. 75.
| Time—it has passed; and the lady is pale— | |
| Pale as the lily that lolls on the gale. |
1849. G. P. R. James, Woodman, iv. A great white feather lolling down till it touched his left shoulder.
† b. To swing, hang, be suspended. Obs.
c. 1418[?]. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 243. The game is not to lolle so hie Ther fete failen fondement.
¶ c. Alleged by Langland to have formerly meant: To halt, be lame. Obs.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. X. 215. Now kyndeliche, by crist beþ suche callyd ‘lolleres,’ As by englisch of oure eldres of olde menne techynge. He þat lolleþ is lame oþer his leg oute of ioynte, Oþer meymed in som membre, for to meschief hit souneþ. And ryght so sothlyche suche manere eremytes Lollen aȝen þe byleyue and lawe of holy churche.
† 2. trans. To let droop or dangle. Also to loll up: to hang.
13[?]. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS. (E.E.T.S.), 614/75. Mi loue i-lolled vp in þe eyr, Wiþ cradel bond I gan him bynde. Cros! he stikeþ nou on þi steir, Naked a-ȝeyn þe wylde wynde.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XII. 191. A meri verset, Þat has take fro tybourne twenti stronge þeues; Þere lewed theues ben lolled vp.
1575. Turberv., Faulconrie, 360. Of the Hawke that holdeth not hir wings up so well as she should do, but lolleth them.
1650. A. B., Mutat. Polemo, 29. This made the Gallants loll their ears and laugh at one an other.
3. To thrust out (the tongue) in a pendulous manner. Also with out.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., V. iii. 8. The Enemy full-hearted, Lolling the Tongue with slaught’ring.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 741. Fierce Tigers couch’d around, and loll’d their fawning Tongues. Ibid., Æneid, VIII. 843. The foster Dam loll’d out her fawning Tongue.
1712. Arbuthnot, John Bull, III. x. Then Nic. lolled out his tongue.
1746. W. Horsley, Fool (1748), II. 40. Every Fool has a natural hereditary … Right to loll out his Tongue at his Brother.
1843. Lytton, Last Bar., I. i. The idle apprentices … lolled out their tongues at him as he passed.
1879. Browning, Ivan Ivanovitch, 132. How he lolls out the length of his tongue.
b. intr. for refl. Of the tongue: To protrude. Usually with out.
1801. Southey, Thalaba, V. ii. His head was hanging down, His dry tongue lolling low.
a. 1845. Hood, Captain’s Cow, x. The Parching seamen stood about, Each with his tongue a-lolling out, And panting like a dog.
1900. L. E. Smith, in Longm. Mag., June, 133. His tongue lolled out in the heat like a dog’s.
4. intr. (The chief current sense.) To lean idly; to recline or rest in a relaxed attitude, supporting oneself against something. Also with about, back, out.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVI. 269. Or ligge þus euere Lollynge in my lappe.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. (1882), 28. A sheepeheard and a dogge lolling vnder a bush.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., III. vii. 72. He is not lulling on a lewd Loue-Bed.
1635. Pagitt, Christianogr., 30. This pope Gregory … is reported to have lulled night and day … in the armes and embracings of Matilda the countesse.
1650. Sir A. Weldon, Court & Char. Jas. I., 103. The King hung about his neck, slabboring his cheeks…. For God’s sake, tel me, said the King … Then lolled about his neck.
1667. Pepys, Diary, 5 June. And, among the rest, Duncomb, lolling, with his heels upon another chair.
1674. Dryden, Epil. New Ho., 9. Who lolling on our foremost benches sit.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, II. xiii. He sat lolling back in a great elbow-chair.
1749. Ld. Chesterf., Lett., cxv. (1892), I. 265. I never saw the worst bred man living guilty of lolling,… in company that he respected.
1778. W. Marshall, Minutes Agric., 18 July 1774. He has good hands, but a bad head—a crazy couch, dangerous to lull upon.
1782. Miss Burney, Cecilia, II. iv. Lolling against the wainscoat and gaping.
1822–34. Good’s Study Med. (ed. 4), III. 246. The complaint first shows itself by … an unwonted desire to lounge and loll about.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Manch. Strike, vii. 76. A knot of smokers … stood or lolled about the door of the Spread-Eagle.
1861. Thackeray, Round. Papers, On a Chalk-mark, 115. Little boys should not loll on chairs.
1882. Miss Braddon, Mt. Royal, III. xii. 257. The Master of the house lolled, half-dressed, in an armchair by the hearth.
b. trans. To allow to rest idly. rare. Also, to pass away (time) in lolling about.
1696. R. Coke, Detection Crt. & State Eng. (1719), I. 87. The King had a loathsome Way of lolling his Arms about his Favourites Necks, and kissing them.
1709. Prior, When Cat is Away, 54. Whilst Fubb till ten, on silken bed, Securely lolls his drowsy head.
1784. Unfortunate Sensibility, II. 104. I take good care that none [sc. no hour] shall be luxuriously lolled away in indolence.
1824. W. Irving, T. Trav., II. 286. Gigantic sunflowers lolled their broad jolly faces over the fences.
c. quasi-trans. or refl.; also, to loll it.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), I. 374. Others … loll it away to the opera … in magnificent equipages.
1821. Clare, Vill. Minstr., I. 77. I … loll’d me ’gainst a propping tree.
† 5. intr. To saunter, go lazily. Obs. rare.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Hen. V., ccxliv. Hee breakes the Portall, wth vnsteddie feet, And Lolls to his owne Lamplight in coole Seas.
1678. Otway, Friendship in F., III. 32. My revenge shall be to love you still; gloat on and loll after you where ere I see you.
† 6. Comb.: loll-ears, drooping pendulous ears; loll-eared a., having drooping ears.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 109. Unlesse some Phebus have clouted upon this Mydas head … the eares of some lolleared Asse. Ibid., 125 b. Skill to discerne a Lyon by his pawes, or rather an Asse by his lolle-eares.
1585. Higins, Junius’ Nomenclator, 453. Flaccus, that hath hanging eares: loll eared: flap eared.
Hence Lolled (out) ppl. a., said of the tongue.
1666. Dryden, Ann. Mirab., 132. With his lolled tongue he faintly licks his prey.
1715. trans. Pancirollus’ Rerum Mem., I. I. i. 5. The Slanderer is represented by the Picture of a Purple with its lolled-out Tongue.
1902. Academy, 3 May, 455/2. Irreverence that expressed itself in loud laughter and a lolled-out tongue.
