tru·ant / ˈtroōənt/ • n. a student who stays away from school without leave or explanation.• adj. (of a student) being a truant: truant children. ∎  wandering; straying: her truant husband.• v. [intr.] another way of saying play truant below.PHRASES: play truant stay away from school or work without permission or explanation; play hooky.DERIVATIVES: tru·an·cy / -ənsē/ n.

truant †sturdy beggar, idle rogue XIII; pupil absent from school without leave XV; adj. XVI. — OF. truant (mod. truand) :- Gallo-Rom. *trūgant-, prob. of Celt. orig. (cf. W. truan, Gael. truaghan wretched).