meander

¹ American  

[mee-an-der] / miˈæn dər /

verb (used without object)

1. to proceed by or take a winding or indirect course.

   The stream meandered through the valley.

   Synonyms:

   coil, snake, twist, wind, wander

2. to wander aimlessly; ramble.

   The talk meandered on.

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verb (used with object)

1. Surveying. to define the margin of (a body of water) with a meander line.

noun

1. Usually meanders. turnings or windings; a winding path or course.

2. a circuitous movement or journey.

3. an intricate variety of fret or fretwork.

Meander ² American  

[mee-an-der] / miˈæn dər /

noun

1. ancient name of the Menderes.

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meander ¹ British  

/ mɪˈændə /

verb

1. to follow a winding course

2. to wander without definite aim or direction

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noun

1. (often plural) a curve or bend, as in a river

2. (often plural) a winding course or movement

3. an ornamental pattern, esp as used in ancient Greek architecture

Meander ² British  

/ miːˈændə /

noun

1. a variant spelling of Maeander

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meander Scientific  

/ mē-ăn′dər /

1. A sinuous curve, bend, or loop along the course of a stream or river.

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Other Word Forms

• meanderer noun
• meandering adjective
• meanderingly adverb
• meandrous adjective

Etymology

Origin of meander

1570–80; < Latin maeander < Greek maíandros a winding, special use of Maíandros, the Menderes River, noted for its winding course

Example Sentences

But a handful still survive — routes that don’t carve a straight line but follow the meandering, undulating contours of the land.

From Los Angeles Times

“The Housemaid” stumbles, and it doesn’t help that Sweeney spends much of the film meandering throughout its narrative like a piece of driftwood that keeps washing back onto the shore.

From Salon

He used a meandering conversation and a few hours to get AI to build Sprout Gifts, a gifting registry for kids, and an app to appraise any items via photos.

From Los Angeles Times

I think about the dense woods cocooning the property, with the meandering, secret paths we made ourselves with wheelbarrows full of mulch.

From Literature

When we met him, he meandered across the field, atrophied by lack of exercise, sat on my foot and looked up with a hopeful demeanor.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• drift
• ramble
• roam
• snake
• stray
• stroll
• traipse