What does "meander" mean?
One of the turns of a winding, crooked, or involved course.
Meander
/miˈæn.dɚ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One of the turns of a winding, crooked, or involved course.
- Grammar: meander is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: ramble, ambages, amble, ambled.
- Useful contrasts: adhere to the plan, advance directly, beelines.
- Usage evidence: Explorers looked for shortcuts in space-time to meander serendipitously through the universe.
How to use "meander"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "meander" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "meander" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "meander" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "meander" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "meander" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ramble" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "meander", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One of the turns of a winding, crooked, or involved course. often, plural
"the meanders of an old river, or of the veins and arteries in the body"
- 2 an aimless amble on a winding course wordnet
- 3 One of a series of regular sinuous curves, bends, loops, turns, or windings in the channel of a river, stream, or other watercourse
"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."
- 4 a bend or curve, as in a stream or river wordnet
- 5 A tortuous or winding journey.
"That journey in the spring of 1891 tracked historical underpinnings of the edifice that Einstein built. Our story will be an extremely interesting mental meander to trace the evolution some of the aspects of relativity theory from the beginning."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Synonym of Greek key, a decorative border; fretwork.
"The scales are conceived of as meander fretwork; but I do not know whether, for this reason, this fish is associated with thunder."
- 7 A self-avoiding closed curve which intersects a line a number of times.
- 8 A path on which the directions, distances, and elevations are noted, as a part of a land survey. obsolete, possibly
"Markings on Meander Corners. On all meander corners, the letters “M. C.” ( for meander corner) will be cut into the side facing the stream or lake to be meandered. On post or tree meander corners, within township exteriors[…]"
- 9 A decorative border consisting of a repeated linear motif, particularly of intersecting perpendicular lines.
Verb
- 1 To wind or turn in a course or passage intransitive
"The stream meandered through the valley."
- 2 to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course wordnet
- 3 To be intricate. intransitive
"His speech meandered through various topics."
- 4 To wind, turn, or twist; to make flexuous. transitive
"Her labyrinth-like ţurns, and mad meander'd trace[…]"
Proper Noun
- 1 A town in Meander Valley council area, northern Tasmania, Australia.
- 2 A river in northern Tasmania, which joins the South Esk.
Antonyms
Example
"Explorers looked for shortcuts in space-time to meander serendipitously through the universe."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "meander"?
Common synonyms include: ramble, ambages, amble, ambled, ambles, ambling.
How do you use "meander" in a sentence?
Explorers looked for shortcuts in space-time to meander serendipitously through the universe.
How do you pronounce "meander"?
Pronounced /miˈæn.dɚ/.
Etymology
From Latin Maeander, from Ancient Greek Μαίανδρος (Maíandros) – a river in Asia Minor (present day Turkey) known for its winding course (modern Turkish Menderes).