meander
UK[miˈændə(r)]US[miˈændər]
v
(of a river or road) to curve a lot rather than being straight
v
(of a person) to walk slowly and change direction often, especially without a clear aim
n
a curve or bend in a river or road
n
a slow, aimless walk or journey
Morpheme Breakdown
meander
meander
Unsegmentable
Etymology
The word 'meander' originates from the Latin 'Maeander', which was borrowed from the Greek 'Maiandros'. This was the ancient name of a river in Asia Minor, now the Büyük Menderes River in Turkey, famous for its winding, twisting course. The Greeks used the name to personify the river god and, by extension, to describe the river's characteristic sinuous path. Over time, the proper noun was adopted into Latin and later English as a common noun and verb, shedding its geographical specificity to describe any similar winding pattern or aimless movement.
Analysis
Structure: meander (Unsegmentable)
The entire word "meander" is a simplex loanword from Latin. It is not productively segmented into smaller meaningful parts in modern English.
Examples
The stream meandered gently through the meadow.
We spent the afternoon meandering through the narrow streets of the old town.
The lower reaches of the river are characterized by a series of wide meanders.