maunder

verb

maun·​der ˈmȯn-dər How to pronounce maunder (audio)
ˈmän-
maundered; maundering ˈmȯn-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce maunder (audio)
ˈmän-

intransitive verb

1
chiefly British : grumble
2
: to wander slowly and idly
3
: to speak indistinctly or disconnectedly
maunderer noun

Did you know?

Wander Towards Maunder

Maunder looks a lot like meander, and that's not all the two words have in common—both mean "to wander aimlessly," either physically or in speech. Some critics have suggested that while meander can describe a person's verbal and physical rambling, in addition to the wanderings of things like paths and streams, maunder should be limited to wandering words. The problem with that reasoning is that maunder has been used of the physical movements of people since the 18th century, whereas meander didn't acquire that use until the 19th. These days, meander tends to be the more common choice, although maunder does continue to turn up in both applications.

Examples of maunder in a Sentence

maundered all over town on his day off ask her a question and she'll maunder for half an hour
Recent Examples on the Web The book really revolves around Monson, each of his chapters about the movie becoming chapters that maunder through his life, cleaving away at the monster of manhood. Wyatt Mason, Harper’s Magazine , 6 Jan. 2023 Hughes ran efficient and productive meetings, with a low tolerance for maundering or side conversation, but he was given pause by the gravity of the occasion. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2016

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'maunder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably imitative

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of maunder was in 1622

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Dictionary Entries Near maunder

Cite this Entry

“Maunder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maunder. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

maunder

verb
maun·​der ˈmȯn-dər How to pronounce maunder (audio)
ˈmän-
maundered; maundering -d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce maunder (audio)
1
: to wander slowly and idly
2
: to speak in a disconnected or aimless way
maunderer noun
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