Samuel Johnson
John GalsworthyJohn le Carré
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[Meander] first meandered into the language in the late 16th century not as verb but as a noun referring to a turn or winding of a stream. The word came to English, by way of Latin, ultimately from Maiandros, the Greek name for a river known today as the Menderes River in what is now southwestern Turkey. The more popular verb use dates to the early 17th century and means both "to follow a winding or intricate course" and "to ramble." Despite its fluvial origins, these days meander is more commonly used to refer to a person's wandering course than a river's.
Examples of meander in a Sentence
Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2026
Trails meander past the butterfly garden, under a canopy of southern magnolias and hardwoods, and over a mix of boardwalks, dirt paths, and concrete walkways.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026
In Robinson’s New Jersey community, deer that are commonly seen in back yards have been meandering on the street since the community has been under roughly 10 inches of snow for at least 17 days.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 15 Feb. 2026
When the vortex weakens, that tight circle becomes wavier, akin to how a slow-moving river tends to meander in bends across the landscape, Swain says.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 9 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Meander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meander. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
meander
1 of 2 noun
meander
2 of 2 verb
