divagate

American  

[dahy-vuh-geyt] / ˈdaɪ vəˌgeɪt /

verb (used without object)

divagated, divagating

1. to wander; stray.

2. to digress in speech.

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divagate British  

/ ˈdaɪvəˌɡeɪt /

verb

1. rare (intr) to digress or wander

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Other Word Forms

• divagation noun

Etymology

Origin of divagate

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin dīvagātus (past participle of dīvagārī “to wander off”), equivalent to dī- di- ² + vag- (stem of vagārī “to wander”) + -ātus -ate ¹

Example Sentences

"Egoism is merely another name for the expression of a vital need," he said, after the divagating pause, defining the word more for his own satisfaction than in self-defense.

From Project Gutenberg

For a set scheduled to start at 10, the singer, who had spent much of the day divagating about what to wear onstage, appeared around midnight.

From New York Times

And the upshot is that the theistic determinist is never merciful, whereas the rational determinist is at least under a logical compulsion to be so, however he may resist or divagate.

From Project Gutenberg

If it can be done in prose—that is the puzzle—I divagate again.

From Project Gutenberg

So does a child’s balloon divagate upon the currents of the air, and touch and slide off again from every obstacle.

From Project Gutenberg