Errand

Pronunciation

• enPR: Ä›r'-É™nd, IPA: /ˈɛrÉ™nd/
• Rhymes: -É›rÉ™nd

Alternative forms

• errant, arrand, arrant

Origin

From Middle English erande, erende, from Old English ǣrende ("errand, message; mission; embassy; answer, news, tidings, business, care"), from Proto-Germanic *airundiją ("message, errand"), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ey- ("to go"). Cognate with German dialectal Erend, Ernd ("order, contract, task, errand"), Danish ærinde ("errand"), Swedish ärende ("errand"), Norwegian ærend ("errand"), Icelandic eyrindi, erindi ("errand").

Full definition of errand

Noun

1. A trip to accomplish a small mission or to do some business (dropping items by, doing paperwork, going to a friend's house, etc.)The errands before he could start the project included getting material at the store and getting the tools he had lent his neighbors.
2. The purpose of such trip.I'm going to town on some errands.
3. An oral message trusted to a person for delivery.

Derived terms

• fool's errand
• lost errand

Verb

1. (transitive) To send someone on an errand.All the servants were on holiday or erranded out of the house.
2. (intransitive) To go on an errand.She spent an enjoyable afternoon erranding in the city.

Anagrams

• darner
• Darren