Word of the Day

: December 27, 2008

meander

verb mee-AN-der

What It Means

1 : to follow a winding or intricate course

2 : to wander aimlessly or casually without urgent destination : ramble

meander in Context

As we meandered through the underground maze, we stumbled upon a pile of stones that appeared to mark a burial site.

Did You Know?

"Roam," "ramble," and "meander" all mean to move about from place to place without a plan or definite purpose, but each suggests wandering in a unique way. "Roam" refers to carefree wandering over a wide area often for pleasure (as in, "I roamed over the hills for hours"). "Ramble" stresses carelessness and indifference to one’s course or objective (for instance, "the speaker rambled on without ever coming to the point"). "Meander," which comes from Greek "Maiandros," an old name for a river in Asia Minor, implies a winding course and lazy movement, and it is still sometimes associated with rivers (as in, "the river meandered through the town"). "Meander" can also be used as a noun meaning "a winding path."