What is "idling"

Usage examples of "idling".

The fireball also blew the aft stack apart, and with it the number-two boiler, which caused a steam explosion from the idling high-pressure steam drum.

Anne walked slowly, idling through wooded glades and along avenues of ancient ahuehuete trees, massive giants that must have stood when Montezuma of the Aztecs was king.

Shape-ups were held in the predawn down by the Vineland courthouse, shadowy brown buses idling in the dark, work and wages posted silently in the windows some mornings Zoyd had gone down, climbed on, ridden out with other newcomers, all cherry to the labor market up here, former artists or spiritual pilgrims now becoming choker setters, waiters and waitresses, baggers and checkout clerks, tree workers, truckdrivers, and framers, or taking temporary swamping jobs like this, all in the service of others, the ones who did the building, selling, buying and speculating.

The evening thoroughfares of Pelek Baw were crowded as always, but beings of all species hastily stepped aside for the idling gunship cruising through the city at street level.

The virusteel deckplating hummed with the distant throb of idling Bussard drives.

Zirus skipped off toward a long limousine that was idling in a little parking lot just beside the gate, Theo slowed down until Cumber Sedge caught up with him.

Sidewalks had widened, stretched by the muscular fingers of money, and the pour of office workers had curdled into a cyclonic multitude, well-dressed, cologned, and silently pouting because the limousines double-parked along each and every curb were not idling obediently for it.

A motor launch bearing a network camera crew pulled up to join the ring of police and coastguard vessels surrounding the Ugly Duckling, all engines idling.

As she straddled the bike and started kicking, it occurred to me that I could enter the idling Jaguar and be gone.

When he left the launderette Notting Hill was vacant except for a delivery truck and two taxis idling at the traffic lights, their drivers conversing in shouts.

He had looked forward to spending nearly the whole day on the crest of the wooded hills in the northern corner of the Quien Sabe ranch, reading, idling, smoking his pipe.

She slung her bag back into the carrier, thumbed on the engine, and then sat, motor idling, while van Liesvelt coaxed the runabout into reluctant motion.

Los Angeles was continuing steadily away to the southeast, its big turbines idling along at only five knots, 300 feet below the surface.

The car was still idling and the headlights were pointed forward along the dirt road, showing the washboards and the uneven grading.

As they were idling about, after their lunch, Mallard kept near to Miriam, but without speaking.