meander

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: me=an=der

CIDE DICTIONARY

meander, n. [L. Maeander, orig., a river in Phrygia, proverbial for its many windings, Gr. : cf. F. méandre.].

•  A winding, crooked, or involved course; as, the meanders of the veins and arteries.  Sir M. Hale.  [1913 Webster]

  "While lingering rivers in meanders glide."  [1913 Webster]
•  A tortuous or intricate movement.  [1913 Webster]
•  Fretwork. See Fret.  [1913 Webster]

meander, v. t. 

 To wind, turn, or twist; to make flexuous.  [1913 Webster]

meander, v. i. 

 To wind or turn in a course or passage; to be intricate.  [1913 Webster]
"Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

meander, v. & n.
--v.intr.
1 wander at random.
2 (of a stream) wind about.
--n.
1 (in pl.) a the sinuous windings of a river. b winding paths.
2 a circuitous journey.
3 an ornamental pattern of lines winding in and out; a fret.

Etymology

L maeander f. Gk Maiandros, the name of a winding river in Phrygia

DEVIL DICTIONARY

meander

n. To proceed sinuously and aimlessly. The word is the ancient name of a river about one hundred and fifty miles south of Troy, which turned and twisted in the effort to get out of hearing when the Greeks and Trojans boasted of their prowess.

THESAURUS

meander

Chinese puzzle, Gordian knot, Rube Goldberg contraption, S-curve, ambages, amble, anfractuosity, bat around, bend, bending, bends, bow, bowing, bum, can of worms, circuitousness, circumambages, circumbendibus, circumlocution, circumvolution, coils, complex, conflexure, contort, convolution, corkscrew, count ties, crinkle, crinkling, curves, deflection, divagate, drift, err, excurse, flection, flex, flexuosity, flexuousness, flexure, flit, gad, gad about, gallivant, geanticline, geosyncline, go about, go adrift, go astray, go the rounds, hairpin turn, hit the road, hit the trail, hobo, inflection, intorsion, intort, involution, jaunt, jungle, knock about, knock around, knot, labyrinth, loops, maze, meandering, mesh, mess, mooch, mosey, nomadize, oxbow, peregrinate, pererrate, perplex, prowl, ramble, range, ravel, reflection, rivulation, roam, rove, run about, saunter, scallop, screw, serpentine, sinuation, sinuosity, sinuousness, slink, slinkiness, snafu, snake, snake pit, snakiness, snarl, straggle, stray, stroll, sweep, swirl, tangle, tangled skein, torsion, tortility, tortuosity, tortuousness, traipse, tramp, turn, turning, twine, twirl, twist, twist and turn, twisting, undulation, vagabond, vagabondize, walk the tracks, wander, wave, waving, wayfare, webwork, wheels within wheels, whirl, whorl, wilderness, wind, winding, worm, wring, zigzag

ROGET THESAURUS

meander

Circuit

VB perform a circuit, go round about, go out of one's way, make a detour, meander, lead a pretty dance, beat about the bush, make two bites of a cherry.

Convolution

VB be convoluted, wind, twine, turn and twist, twirl, wave, undulate, meander, inosculate, entwine, intwine, twist, coil, roll, wrinkle, curl, crisp, twill, frizzle, crimp, crape, indent, scollop, scallop, wring, intort, contort, wreathe.

Deviation

VB alter one's course, deviate, depart from, turn, trend, bend, curve, swerve, heel, bear off, gybe, wear, intervert, deflect, divert, divert from its course, put on a new scent, shift, shunt, draw aside, crook, warp, stray, straggle, sidle, diverge, tralineate, digress, wander, wind, twist, meander, veer, tack, divagate, sidetrack, turn aside, turn a corner, turn away from, wheel, steer clear of, ramble, rove, drift, go astray, go adrift, yaw, dodge, step aside, ease off, make way for, shy, fly off at a tangent, glance off, wheel about, face about, turn to the right about, face to the right about, waddle, go out of one's way, lose one's way.

Circuition

VB turn, bend, wheel, go about, put about, heel, go round to the right about, turn round to the right about, turn on one's heel, make a circle, make a complete circle, describe a circle, describe a complete circle, go through 180 degrees, go through 360 degrees, pass through 180 degrees, pass through 360 degrees, circumnavigate, circumambulate, circumvent, put a girdle round about the earth, go the round, make the round of, wind, circulate, meander, whisk, twirl, twist, make a detour.

River

VB flow, run, meander, gush, pour, spout, roll, jet, well, issue, drop, drip, dribble, plash, spirtle, trill, trickle, distill, percolate, stream, overflow, inundate, deluge, flow over, splash, swash, guggle, murmur, babble, bubble, purl, gurgle, sputter, spurt, spray, regurgitate, ooze, flow out, rain hard, rain in torrents, rain cats and dogs, rain pitchforks, pour with rain, drizzle, spit, set in, mizzle, flow into, fall into, open into, drain into, discharge itself, disembogue, pour, pour out, shower down, irrigate, drench, spill, splash, stanch, dam, up, obstruct.

Secret

N secret, dead secret, profound secret, arcanum, mystery, latency, Asian mystery, sealed book, secrets of the prison house, le desous des cartes, enigma, riddle, puzzle, nut to crack, conundrum, charade, rebus, logogriph, monogram, anagram, Sphinx, crux criticorum, maze, labyrinth, Hyrcynian wood, intricacy, meander, problem, paradox, unintelligibility, terra incognita, secret, involved, labyrinthine, labyrinthian, mazy, confidential, top secret.