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Original · left

Idle (inactive)

Inactive, lazy, or running a motor vehicle engine out of gear while parked.

First in use: ancient / pre-modern
Duplicate · right

Idle (CPU)

The operational condition where a processor has completed queued instructions and is waiting for new tasks.

First in use: the 1960s

Idle / Idle (inactive) / Idle (CPU)

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Canonical todayMeasuring…
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Duplicate share · 12 mo—
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Colour keyGrey · original meaningGreen · duplicate meaningAmber · contested (40–60%)How colours work

Idling engines vs. idle loops.

Which meaning of Idle is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Idle (inactive) came first (ancient / pre-modern). Idle (CPU) arrived in the 1960s. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Idle (inactive)Idle (CPU)
English Wikipedia pageviews since July 2015 load here.

Duplicate's share of attention

Green line = duplicate's % · above 60 it owns the word · below 40 the original does

Share-of-attention line loads here.

The case for each meaning

Sourced definitions, usage stats and quotes

Original · ancient / pre-modern

Idle (inactive)

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Duplicate · the 1960s

Idle (CPU)

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More duplicated terms

Programming & software