truant

n. [ F. truand, OF. truant, a vagrant, beggar; of Celtic origin; cf. W. tru, truan, wretched, miserable, truan a wretch, Ir. trogha miserable, Gael. truaghan a poor, distressed, or wretched creature, truagh wretched. ] One who stays away from business or any duty; especially, one who stays out of school without leave; an idler; a loiterer; a shirk. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have a truant been to chivalry. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To play truant, to stray away; to loiter; especially, to stay out of school without leave. Sir T. Browne [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Wandering from business or duty; loitering; idle, and shirking duty; as, a truant boy. [ 1913 Webster ]

While truant Jove, in infant pride,
Played barefoot on Olympus' side. Trumbull. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ Cf. F. truander. ] To idle away time; to loiter, or wander; to play the truant. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

By this means they lost their time and truanted on the fundamental grounds of saving knowledge. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Like a truant; in idleness. [ 1913 Webster ]