peregrinate

verb

per·​e·​gri·​nate ˈper-ə-grə-ˌnāt 

peregrinated; peregrinating

intransitive verb

: to travel especially on foot : walk

transitive verb

: to walk or travel over : traverse

peregrination

ˌper-ə-grə-ˈnā-shən 

noun

Did you know?

We begin our narrative of the linguistic travels of peregrinate with the Latin word peregrinatus, the past participle of peregrinari, which means "to travel in foreign lands." The verb is derived from the Latin word for "foreigner," peregrinus, which was earlier used as an adjective meaning "foreign."That term also gave us the words pilgrim and peregrine, the latter of which once meant "alien" but is now used as an adjective meaning "tending to wander" and as a noun naming a kind of falcon. (The peregrine falcon is so named because it was traditionally captured during its first flight—or pilgrimage—from the nest.)

Synonyms

• course
• cover
• cross
• cut (across)
• follow
• go
• navigate
• pass (over)
• perambulate
• proceed (along)
• track
• transit
• travel
• traverse

Examples of peregrinate in a Sentence

Jack Kerouac's celebrated novel about penniless free spirits peregrinating the United States.

a couple of backpacking college students who decided to spend the summer peregrinating around Ireland

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

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Kids Definition

peregrinate

verb

per·​e·​gri·​nate ˈper-ə-grə-ˌnāt 

peregrinated; peregrinating

: to travel especially on foot

peregrination

ˌper-ə-grə-ˈnā-shən 

noun