straggle
[ strag-uhl ]
/ ˈstræg əl /
Save This Word!
verb (used without object), strag·gled, strag·gling.
to stray from the road, course, or line of march.
to wander about in a scattered fashion; ramble.
to spread or be spread in a scattered fashion or at irregular intervals: The trees straggle over the countryside.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”
Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
Origin of straggle
1350–1400; Middle English straglen< ?
OTHER WORDS FROM straggle
straggler, nounstrag·gling·ly, adverbDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for straggle
British Dictionary definitions for straggle
straggle
/ (ˈstræɡəl) /
verb (intr)
to go, come, or spread in a rambling or irregular way; stray
to linger behind or wander from a main line or part
Derived forms of straggle
straggler, nounstraggling, adjectivestragglingly, adverbstraggly, adjectiveWord Origin for straggle
C14: of uncertain origin; perhaps related to strake and stretch
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