Language: en
Meaning: (intransitive,idiomatic)To spend an especially lengthy period of timeinactively, whileexpectingthe arrival of someone or whileanticipatingsome other event, oftenimpatientlyand often without a satisfactory outcome.1911October,Edith Wharton, chapter VI, inEthan Frome(The Scribner Library; SL8), New York, N.Y.:Charles Scribner’s Sons,→OCLC,page110:Looks as if we were all sold out. But if you'llwait aroundtill the old man comes along maybe he can put his hand on it.1960October 31, “United Nations: Last Words”, inTime, retrieved18 February 2020:"A terrible organization!" said Nikita Khrushchev, all but shuddering at the memory. "If you could see how the delegates behave![…]. They do not participate in work, but just sit there andwait aroundin case there's any voting."1993November 14, William Glaberson, “Waiting for The Post to Call”, inNew York Times, retrieved18 February 2020:"In the beginning, I waswaiting aroundby the phone," he said. "Then I got myself an answering machine."2007September 21,Charlotte Chandler, “Great interviews of the 20th century (Mae West, 1979)”, inGuardian, UK, retrieved18 February 2020:"Too many womenwait arounddepending on men to bring them happiness. I didn't depend on men for mine."
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