mosey

[moh-zee]

verb (used without object), mo·seyed, mo·sey·ing. Informal.

to wander or shuffle about leisurely; stroll; saunter (often followed by along, about, etc.).
to leave quickly; decamp.

Origin of mosey

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for moseyed

mope, meander, amble, ramble, traipse, dilly-dally, linger, dally, drift, loiter

Examples from the Web for moseyed

Contemporary Examples of moseyed

He moseyed occasionally around Lebanon, Ohio, where he owned a farm, and asked locals to respect his privacy.
What Neil Armstrong Really Taught the World
Daniel Stone
August 26, 2012

Historical Examples of moseyed

So I took things on my own hook and went to Cottonton, where I moseyed round considerable.
Garrison's Finish
W. B. M. Ferguson
But I drawed lots with myself and moseyed over to the school-house to keep a bench warm.
Alec Lloyd, Cowpuncher
Eleanor Gates
They moseyed by the Plaza, and over to the Hussman, where they looked at apartments, which ended in Pearl taking one.
Hookers
Richard F. Mann
Raphael Poe moseyed through the streets of Moscow in an apparently aimless manner.
The Foreign Hand Tie
Gordon Randall Garrett

British Dictionary definitions for moseyed

mosey

verb (intr)

informal (often foll by along or on) to walk in a leisurely manner; amble

Word Origin for mosey

C19: origin unknown

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 moseyed

mosey

1829, American English slang, of unknown origin, perhaps related to British dialectal mose about "go around in a dull, stupid way." Or perhaps from Spanish vamos (see vamoose). Related: Moseyed; moseying.