meander

English

Alternative forms

• mæander (archaic)

Etymology

From Latin maeander from Ancient Greek Μαίανδρος (Maíandros) - a river in Asia Minor (present day Turkey) known for its winding course. (Turkish: Büyük Menderes Nehri)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /miˈændə(ɹ)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /miˈændɚ/

Noun

meander (plural meanders)

1. A winding, crooked, or involved course.

   the meanders of an old river, or of the veins and arteries in the body

   • 1712, Sir Richard Blackmore, "Creation: A Philosophical Poem":

     See, how the streams advancing to the main, / Through crooked channels draw their crystal train! / While lingering thus they in meanders glide, / They scatter verdant life on either side.

2. A tortuous or intricate movement.
3. Fretwork.
4. (mathematics) A self-avoiding closed curve which intersects a line a number of times.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• meander belt
• meanderer
• meanderian
• meanderic

• meanderiform
• meanderine
• meandering
• meander line

• meander loop
• meandrous
• meandry

Translations

winding, crooked or involved course

• Czech: meandr (cs) m
• French: méandre (fr) m
• German: Windung (de) f, Windungen (de) pl
• Greek: μαίανδρος (el) m (maíandros)
• Italian: meandro (it) m

• Portuguese: meandro (pt) m
• Romanian: meandru (ro) n
• Russian: меа́ндр (ru) m (meándr)
• Scottish Gaelic: lùb f
• Spanish: meandro (es) m (river)

tortuous or intricate movement

• French: méandre (fr) m

fretwork

Verb

meander (third-person singular simple present meanders, present participle meandering, simple past and past participle meandered)

1. (intransitive) To wind or turn in a course or passage; to be intricate.

   The stream meandered through the valley.

2. (transitive) To wind, turn, or twist; to make flexuous.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Dryton to this entry?)

Translations

wind or turn

• French: méandrer (fr)
• Japanese: 迂曲 (ukyoku), うきょく
• Maori: whakakoki, kōpiko, kōpikopiko

• Polish: wić (pl) impf
• Romanian: meandra (rare)
• Scottish Gaelic: lùb

to wander idly

• French: errer (fr)
• German: mäandern (de)
• Italian: girovare, girovagare (it)

• Maori: whakatihake, hāereere
• Spanish: deambular (es)

References

• The Chambers Dictionary (1998)

Anagrams

• Merenda, amender, enarmed, reamend, reedman, renamed