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me·an·der (mē-ăndər)
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intr.v. me·an·dered, me·an·der·ing, me·an·ders
1. To follow a winding and turning course: Streams tend to meander through level land.
2. To move aimlessly and idly without fixed direction: vagabonds meandering through life. See Synonyms at wander.
3. To speak or write in sustained fashion on a number of loosely connected topics.
4. To be directed in various directions or at multiple objects: His gaze meandered over the church's façade.
n.
1. often meanders A bend, turn, or winding, as of a stream or path.
2. A portion, side trip, or episode in a longer journey.
3. A passage on a subtopic or digression in a longer piece of discourse.
4. An ornamental pattern of winding or intertwining lines, used in art and architecture.

[From Latin maeander, circuitous windings, from Greek maiandros, after Maiandros, the Maeander River in Phrygia, noted for its windings.]

me·ander·er n.
me·ander·ing·ly adv.
me·androus (-drəs) adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.