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Loon vs Lone - What's the difference?

loon | lone |

As a noun loon

is idler, lout.

As an adjective lone is

solitary; having no companion.

loon

English

(wikipedia loon)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) loun. Folk etymology associates it slang-wise with lunatic; see loony.

Noun

(en noun)
  • idler, lout
  • (chiefly, Scotland, Ulster) boy, lad
  • (chiefly, Scotland) harlot; mistress
  • (chiefly, Scotland) simpleton
  • (slang) crazy or deranged person
  • (Ireland) English Soldier of an expeditionary army in Ireland.
    • Synonyms
    * (crazy person ): lunatic, psycho, wacko
    See also
    * looney, loony, loonie

    Etymology 2

    Of Scandinavian origin, akin to (etyl) , compare (lament).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (US, Canada) Any of various birds, of the order Gaviiformes , of North America and Europe that dive for fish and have a short tail, webbed feet and a yodeling cry.
    • Synonyms
    * diver
    Derived terms
    * Black-throated Loon (Gavia arctica) * great northern loon, common loon, (Gavia immer) * Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica) * Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata) * Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii) * loonie

    References

    * ----

    lone

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Solitary; having no companion.
  • :
  • *(William Shenstone) (1714–1763)
  • *:When I have on those pathless wilds appeared, / And the lone wanderer with my presence cheered.
  • *
  • *:The Bat—they called him the Bat.. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
  • Isolated or lonely; lacking companionship.
  • Sole; being the only one of a type.
  • Situated by itself or by oneself, with no neighbours.
  • :
  • *(Lord Byron) (1788-1824)
  • *:By a lone well a lonelier column rears.
  • (lb) Unfrequented by human beings; solitary.
  • *(Alexander Pope) (1688-1744)
  • *:Thus vanish sceptres, coronets, and balls, / And leave you on lone woods, or empty walls.
  • (lb) Single; unmarried, or in widowhood.
  • *Collection of Records (1642)
  • *:Queen Elizabeth being a lone woman.
  • *(William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • *:A hundred mark is a long one for a poor lone woman to bear.

    • Synonyms

    * only

    Derived terms

    * lone gunman * lone wolf

    Related terms

    * alone

    Anagrams

    * ----