peregrinate

American  

[per-i-gruh-neyt] / ˈpɛr ɪ grəˌneɪt /

verb (used without object)

peregrinated, peregrinating

1. to travel or journey, especially to walk on foot.

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verb (used with object)

peregrinated, peregrinating

1. to travel or walk over; traverse.

peregrinate British  

/ ˈpɛrɪɡrɪˌneɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to travel or wander about from place to place; voyage

2. (tr) to travel through (a place)

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adjective

1. an obsolete word for foreign

Other Word Forms

• peregrinator
  noun

Etymology

Origin of peregrinate

First recorded in 1585–95; from Latin peregrīnātus, past participle of peregrīnārī “to travel abroad”; see peregrine, -ate ¹

Explanation

People who peregrinate are constantly on the move, traveling from one location to another. You might peregrinate from Italy to Spain to France during your European backpacking trip. The most common way to peregrinate is on foot, wandering from place to place, as when you decide to peregrinate around your city's various neighborhoods pretending you're a tourist. The word is a bit old fashioned these days, and it was first used in the late 16th century, taken from the Latin peregrinatus, "traveled abroad," or figuratively "wandered or roamed," from peregrinus, "foreign."

Example Sentences

Regardless of how they get there, they seem to peregrinate in a fog, for which they can hardly be blamed: In Brighton Beach, questions are deeply frowned upon, then ignored.

From New York Times • Dec. 14, 2018

Having those moments to pause and peregrinate keeps us nimble for the duration — and I can only imagine how salutary they are for the cast.

From New York Times • Oct. 22, 2017

I sometimes go to Windsor, and the very next one I shall peregrinate over to Eton on the chance of a sight of his portrait.

From The Letters of Henry James, Vol. II by James, Henry

But I seem to travel, to peregrinate, less and less—and I am reduced to living on my past accumulations.

From The Letters of Henry James (volume I) by James, Henry

The old showman and his literary coadjutor were already tackling their horses to the wagon with a design to peregrinate south-west along the sea-coast.

From Twice Told Tales by Hawthorne, Nathaniel