wander
English
Etymology
From Middle English wandren, wandrien, from Old English wandrian (“to wander, roam, fly around, hover; change; stray, err”), from Proto-Germanic *wandrōną (“to wander”), from Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ- (“to turn, wind”), equivalent to wend + -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with Scots wander (“to wander”), German wandern (“to wander, roam, hike, migrate”), Swedish vandra (“to wander, hike”).
Pronunciation
Verb
wander (third-person singular simple present wanders, present participle wandering, simple past and past participle wandered)
- (intransitive) To move without purpose; often in search of livelihood.
- (intransitive) To stray; stray from one's course; err.
- (intransitive) To commit adultery.
- (intransitive) To go somewhere indirectly or at varying speeds; to move in a curved path.
- (intransitive) Of the mind, to lose focus or clarity of argument or attention.
Synonyms
- (move without purpose): err, roam
- (commit adultery): cheat
- (go somewhere indirectly):
- (lose focus): drift
Derived terms
- wander off
Translations
move without purpose
|
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commit adultery
go somewhere indirectly
of the mind, to lose focus or clarity of argument or attention
Noun
wander (plural wanders)
- The act or instance of wandering.
- To go for a wander
Translations
act or instance of wandering