meander

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.

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?)

References

• The Chambers Dictionary (1998)

Anagrams

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