English Words Starting With I

• idiot box

  nounC1
  /ˈɪdɪət bɒks/A television set.
• idiot card

  nounLow
  /ˈɪdɪət kɑːd/A card containing the text a speaker should say, held up for them to read when they cannot see a teleprompter, such as when the camera is behind them.
• idiot savant

  nounLow
  /ˌɪd.i.əʊ ˈsæv.ɒ̃/A person who has a mental disability or intellectual impairment but demonstrates exceptional skill or brilliance in a specific area, such as calculation, memory, art, or music.
• idiot strings

  plural-nounLow (regional/specialised)
  /ˈɪd.i.ət ˌstrɪŋz/The strings on a hat or cap that prevent it from being blown away by the wind.
• idiot tape

  nounLow/Obsolete
  /ˈɪd.i.ət teɪp/A pre-recorded magnetic tape used in broadcasting that contains time and control codes, over which other material is then recorded, requiring no manual timing or adjustment by the operator.
• idiot's delight

  nounLow
  /ˈɪdiəts dɪˈlaɪt/A derogatory term for a very simple card game, primarily Solitaire, or a simple task that anyone can complete.
• idiotism

  nounVery low / Archaic
  /ˈɪdɪətɪz(ə)m/An idiom or expression unique to a language.
• idiotize

  verb-transitiveVery Low / Rare
  /ˈɪd.i.ə.taɪz/To make someone stupid or foolish; to reduce someone's intelligence or critical thinking.
• idiotype

  nounC2 (Specialist/Technical)
  /ˈɪd.i.əʊ.taɪp/An antigenic determinant unique to an individual antibody or clone of antibodies, reflecting its variable region structure.
• idle

  adjectivenounverbverb-intransitiveverb-transitiveC1
  /ˈaɪdl̩/Not active or in use; doing nothing; lazy.
• idle character

  nounB1
  /ˈaɪd(ə)l/The state of being inactive, without purpose, or not engaged in work.
• idle gear

  nounLow
  /ˌaɪ.dl̩ ˈɡɪər/A gearwheel in a transmission system that sits between two others but does not transfer power directly to the output shaft, often used to change the direction of rotation or to provide an intermediate gear ratio.
• idle pulley

  nounLow
  /ˈaɪd(ə)l ˈpʊli/A wheel or pulley in a mechanical system that does not transmit power but guides or tensions a belt, chain, or cable.
• idle time

  nounB2-C1
  /ˈaɪd(ə)l ˌtaɪm/Time during which a machine, computer system, or person is available but not being used productively.
• idle wheel

  nounC1/C2
  /ˈaɪd(ə)l ˌwiːl/A gear or pulley in a mechanical system that rotates freely on its axis without transferring power, often used to change the direction of motion or to maintain tension.
• idleness

  nounC1
  /ˈaɪd.lnəs/The state or condition of being inactive, unemployed, or not doing anything.
• idler

  nounC1
  /ˈaɪd.lər/A person who spends their time doing nothing; a lazy person.
• idler shaft

  nounC2
  /ˈaɪdlə ʃɑːft/A shaft in machinery (especially in gear trains, conveyor systems, or textile machinery) that carries one or more idler gears or pulleys, whose primary function is to guide, tension, or change the direction of motion rather than transmit primary power.
• idlesse

  nounObsolete/Very Rare
  /ˈaɪdləs/Idleness, leisure; specifically, pleasant, unoccupied, or leisurely time; a state of peaceful inactivity.
• ido

  nounB2
  /ˈaɪdl/Not working, active, or in use; avoiding work; lazy.

Showing 301–320 of 3621 words.