Wander

Pronunciation

• GenAm IPA: /ˈwÉ‘ndÉš/
• RP IPA: /ˈwÉ’ndÉ™/
• Rhymes: -É’ndÉ™(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: wan + der

Origin

From Middle English wandren, wandrien, from Old English wandrian ("to wander, roam, fly around, hover; change; stray, err"), from Proto-Germanic *wandrōną ("to wander"), from Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ- ("to turn, wind"), equivalent to wend + -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with Scots wander ("to wander"), German wandern ("to wander, roam, hike, migrate"), Swedish vandra ("to wander, hike").

Full definition of wander

Verb

1. (intransitive) To move without purpose or specified destination; often in search of livelihood.to wander over the fields
• Bible, Heb. xi. 37They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins.
2. (intransitive) To stray; stray from one's course; err.A writer wanders from his subject.
• Bible, Psalms cxix. 10O, let me not wander from thy commandments.
3. (intransitive) To commit adultery.
4. (intransitive) To go somewhere indirectly or at varying speeds; to move in a curved path.
5. (intransitive) Of the mind, to lose focus or clarity of argument or attention.

Synonyms

• (move without purpose) err, roam
• (commit adultery) cheat
• (go somewhere indirectly)
• (lose focus) drift

Derived terms

• wander off
• wanderer
• wanderlust

Noun

1. The act or instance of wandering.To go for a wander

Anagrams

• Andrew
• warden
• warned