<adj.all> truant schoolboys the soldier was AWOL for almost a week
Truant \Tru"ant\, 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.
I have a truant been to chivalry. --Shak.
{To play truant}, to stray away; to loiter; especially, to stay out of school without leave. --Sir T. Browne
Truant \Tru"ant\, a. Wandering from business or duty; loitering; idle, and shirking duty; as, a truant boy.
While truant Jove, in infant pride, Played barefoot on Olympus' side. --Trumbull.
Truant \Tru"ant\, v. i. [Cf. F. truander.] To idle away time; to loiter, or wander; to play the truant. --Shak.
By this means they lost their time and truanted on the fundamental grounds of saving knowledge. --Lowell.
Truant \Tru"ant\, v. t. To idle away; to waste. [R.]
I dare not be the author Of truanting the time. --Ford.
Only 5 per cent were in full-time employment. School was generally regarded as useful and only 3.3 per cent admitted to playing truant for 'weeks at a time'.
In bygone days they'd have called Muhammad a truant officer.