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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Sloth \Sloth\, noun [OE. slouthe, sleuthe, AS. sl?w?, fr. sl[=a]w slow. See {Slow}.]
1. Slowness; tardiness.
These cardinals trifle with me; I abhor This dilatory sloth and tricks of Rome. --Shak.
2. Disinclination to action or labor; sluggishness; laziness; idleness.
[They] change their course to pleasure, ease, and sloth. --Milton.
Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears. --Franklin.
3. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of arboreal edentates constituting the family {Bradypodid[ae]}, and the suborder Tardigrada. They have long exserted limbs and long prehensile claws. Both jaws are furnished with teeth (see Illust. of {Edentata}), and the ears and tail are rudimentary. They inhabit South and Central America and Mexico.
Note: The three-toed sloths belong to the genera {Bradypus} and {Arctopithecus}, of which several species have been described. They have three toes on each foot. The best-known species are collared sloth ({Bradypus tridactylus}), and the ai ({Arctopitheus ai}). The two-toed sloths, consisting the genus {Cholopus}, have two toes on each fore foot and three on each hind foot. The best-known is the unau ({Cholopus didactylus}) of South America. See {Unau}. Another species ({C. Hoffmanni}) inhabits Central America. Various large extinct terrestrial edentates, such as Megatherium and Mylodon, are often called sloths.
{Australian sloth}, or {Native sloth} (Zo["o]l.), the koala.
{Sloth animalcule} (Zo["o]l.), a tardigrade.
{Sloth bear} (Zo["o]l.), a black or brown long-haired bear ({Melursus ursinus}, or {Melursus labiatus}), native of India and Ceylon; -- called also {aswail}, {labiated bear}, and {jungle bear}. It is easily tamed and can be taught many tricks.
{Sloth monkey} (Zo["o]l.), a loris.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Aswail \As"wail\, noun [Native name.] (Zo["o]l.) The sloth bear ({Melursus labiatus}) of India.
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