meander
[ mee-an-der ]
/ miˈæn dər /
verb (used without object)
to proceed by or take a winding or indirect course: The stream meandered through the valley.
to wander aimlessly; ramble: The talk meandered on.
verb (used with object)
Surveying. to define the margin of (a body of water) with a meander line.
noun
Usually meanders. turnings or windings; a winding path or course.
a circuitous movement or journey.
an intricate variety of fret or fretwork.
RELATED CONTENT
Were P And R Once The Same Letter?Do you ever stop and look at the shape of our alphabet? Each letter looks natural to us now, but all those lines and circles have unique histories. It’s easy to make assumptions that our letters make sense, that they developed in some orderly logical way, and one reasonable assumption would be that P and R are related to each other based on their form. …
Nearby words
Origin of meander
1570–80; < Latin maeander < Greek maíandros a winding, special use of Maíandros, the Menderes River, noted for its winding course
Related formsme·an·der·er, nounme·an·der·ing·ly, adverbun·me·an·der·ing, adjectiveun·me·an·der·ing·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for meandering
British Dictionary definitions for meandering (1 of 2)
meander
/ (mɪˈændə) /
verb (intr)
to follow a winding course
to wander without definite aim or direction
noun
(often plural) a curve or bend, as in a river
(often plural) a winding course or movement
an ornamental pattern, esp as used in ancient Greek architecture
Derived Formsmeanderer, nounmeandering, adjectivemeanderingly, adverbmeandrous, adjective
Word Origin for meander
C16: from Latin maeander, from Greek Maiandros the River Maeander; see Menderes (sense 1)
British Dictionary definitions for meandering (2 of 2)
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
Science definitions for meandering
meander
[ mē-ăn′dər ]
A sinuous curve, bend, or loop along the course of a stream or river.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.