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maunder

[mawn-der]
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verb (used without object)
  1. to talk in a rambling, foolish, or meaningless way.
  2. to move, go, or act in an aimless, confused manner: He maundered through life without a single ambition.
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Origin of maunder

First recorded in 1615–25; origin uncertain
Related formsmaun·der·er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for maunder

ramble, stray, drift, wander, roam, deviate, babble, drivel, mouth, mutter, blather, mumble

Examples from the Web for maunder

Historical Examples of maunder

  • Nevertheless, Maunder says that this thing had no relation to auroral phenomena.

    The Book of the Damned

    Charles Fort

  • In the Observatory, 6-192, is Maunder's contemporaneous account.

  • "You told me not to maunder just now," says Bingo, with ponderous sarcasm.

    The Dop Doctor

    Clotilde Inez Mary Graves

  • Maunder has been sighing for the last ten minutes, and I know what that means.

  • It's young for him still—Hold on, Olive; I'm not going to maunder!

    The Brentons

    Anna Chapin Ray

British Dictionary definitions for maunder

maunder

verb
  1. (intr) to move, talk, or act aimlessly or idly
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Derived Formsmaunderer, nounmaundering, adjective

Word Origin for maunder

C17: perhaps from obsolete maunder to beg, from Latin mendīcāre; see mendicant
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for maunder

v.

"to wander about aimlessly," c.1746, earlier "to mumble, grumble" (1620s), both senses perhaps from frequentative of maund "to beg" (1560s), which is possibly from French mendier "to beg," from Latin mendicare (see mendicant). Related: Maundered; maundering.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper