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Wandering - 4 dictionary results

wan⋅der⋅ing

   [won-der-ing]
–adjective
1. moving from place to place without a fixed plan; roaming; rambling: wandering tourists.
2. having no permanent residence; nomadic: a wandering tribe of Indians.
3. meandering; winding: a wandering river; a wandering path.
–noun
4. an aimless roving about; leisurely traveling from place to place: a period of delightful wandering through Italy.
5. Usually, wanderings.
a. aimless travels; meanderings: Her wanderings took her all over the world.
b. disordered thoughts or utterances; incoherencies: mental wanderings; the wanderings of delirium.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME (n., adj.), OE wandrigende (adj.). See wander, -ing 2 , -ing 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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wan·der     (wŏn'dər)  Pronunciation Key 
v.   wan·dered, wan·der·ing, wan·ders

v.   intr.
  1. To move about without a definite destination or purpose.
  2. To go by an indirect route or at no set pace; amble: wander toward town.
  3. To proceed in an irregular course; meander.
  4. To go astray: wander from the path of righteousness.
  5. To lose clarity or coherence of thought or expression.

v.   tr.
To wander across or through: wander the forests and fields.

n.   The act or an instance of wandering; a stroll.


[Middle English wanderen, from Old English wandrian.]

wan'der·er n., wan'der·ing·ly adv.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to move about at random or without destination or purpose. Wander and ramble stress the absence of a fixed course or goal: wandered down the hall lost in thought. "They would go off together, rambling along the river" (John Galsworthy).
Roam and rove emphasize freedom of movement, often over a wide area: "Herds of horses and cattle roamed at will over the plain" (George W. Cable). "For ten long years I roved about, living first in one capital, then another" (Charlotte Brontë).
Range suggests wandering in all directions: "a large hunting party known to be ranging the prairie" (Francis Parkman).
Meander suggests leisurely wandering over an irregular or winding course: "He meandered to and fro . . . observing the manners and customs of Hillport society" (Arnold Bennett).
Stray refers to deviation from a proper course: "I ask pardon, I am straying from the question" (Oliver Goldsmith).
Gallivant refers to wandering in search of pleasure: gallivanted all over the city during our visit.
Gad suggests restlessness: gadded about unaccompanied in foreign places.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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wandering

adjective
1. migratory; "a restless mobile society"; "the nomadic habits of the Bedouins"; "believed the profession of a peregrine typist would have a happy future"; "wandering tribes" [syn: mobile] 
2. of a path e.g.; "meandering streams"; "rambling forest paths"; "the river followed its wandering course"; "a winding country road" [syn: meandering] 
3. having no fixed course; "an erratic comet"; "his life followed a wandering course"; "a planetary vagabond" [syn: erratic] 

noun
1. travelling about without any clear destination; "she followed him in his wanderings and looked after him" 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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Wandering

Wan"der*ing\, a. & n. from Wander, v.

Wandering albatross (Zo["o]l.), the great white albatross. See Illust. of Albatross.

Wandering cell (Physiol.), an animal cell which possesses the power of spontaneous movement, as one of the white corpuscles of the blood.

Wandering Jew (Bot.), any one of several creeping species of Tradescantia, which have alternate, pointed leaves, and a soft, herbaceous stem which roots freely at the joints. They are commonly cultivated in hanging baskets, window boxes, etc.

Wandering kidney (Med.), a morbid condition in which one kidney, or, rarely, both kidneys, can be moved in certain directions; -- called also floating kidney, movable kidney.

Wandering liver (Med.), a morbid condition of the liver, similar to wandering kidney.

Wandering mouse (Zo["o]l.), the whitefooted, or deer, mouse. See Illust. of Mouse.

Wandering spider (Zo["o]l.), any one of a tribe of spiders that wander about in search of their prey.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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