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On a map, you can see the birthplace of our word meander: Turkey's Büyük Menderes River, historically called the river Maeander or Maeandros. It winds a lot. So, to meander is to wind aimlessly.
And a d___cle is a shattering of ice in a river--or any total, sudden failure.
make your point with...
"MEANDER"
To meander is to wander around without any specific purpose, either literally or figuratively, in a way that reminds you of a winding river.
Pronunciation:
me YAN der
(Be sure to say three syllables, "me YAN der,"
not two, "MEAN der.")
Part of speech:
Most often a verb, specifically the intransitive kind.
(Like "sleep," "skydive," and "succeed," all intransitive verbs show complete action on their own and do not do action to an object. You sleep, you skydive, you succeed, and that’s it. You don’t "sleep a bed," "skydive a plane," or "succeed a plan."
Likewise, something or someone meanders.)
Other forms:
meandered, meandering
How to use it:
Although literal things meander (like paths, trails, courses, roads, rivers, and streams, as well as people), we'll focus more on figurative things that meander, like thoughts and daydreams, songs and stories, performances, games, comments and speeches, conversations and conferences, and so on.
You can say that things meander to or toward or around something, that things meander from something to something else, that things meander across or down or through a place, etc.
For the adjective, use "meandering:" meandering paths and rivers, meandering songs and stories, meandering thoughts and daydreams, etc.
"Meandering" also works as a noun: "He's known for his meandering at the podium."
examples:
The first three episodes of Lost were great before the plot started to meander.
In his new stand-up special, Dave Chappelle meanders from story to story, of course, then draws laughter with a sudden return to structure: "And the third time I met O.J. was..."
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "meander" means when you can explain it without saying "go around aimlessly" or "move from place to place without purpose."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "When I'm (doing something mindless), my thoughts meander: why _____, and how _____?"
Example: "When I'm folding my daughter's tiny socks, my thoughts meander: why does she have to grow up so quickly, and how can I remove all this playground mulch?"
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
This month, we're playing with lines of poetry that include words we've checked out together in previous issues. I’ll give you a few lines from the poem, with a blank where our word appears, along with its definition. See if you can come up with it. Each answer will appear in the following issue. Enjoy!
From the previous issue:
From Franklin Pierce Adams's poem "A Ballad of Baseball Burdens:"
"O the hope,
The _______ hope, the hope that’s half a fear..."
Definition: weak, flimsy, and insubstantial. (Hints: three syllables, starts with T.)
Answer: tenuous.
Try this today:
From Emily Dickinson's poem "You left me – Sire – two Legacies –:"
"You left me Boundaries of Pain –
_________ as the Sea –
Between Eternity and Time –
Your Consciousness – and me –"
Definition: able to hold a lot of things or take in a lot of things. (Hints: three syllables, starts with C.)
review today's word:
1. The opposite of MEANDER is
A. MAKE AN IMPRESSION
B. MAKE A STATEMENT
C. MAKE A BEELINE
2. At age eleven, my friends and I aimed to exchange impressively _____ notes. Inevitably the subject matter meandered.
A. long
B. concise
C. sarcastic
Answers are below.
a final word:
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes.
Answers to review questions:
1. C
2. A
On a map, you can see the birthplace of our word meander: Turkey's Büyük Menderes River, historically called the river Maeander or Maeandros. It winds a lot. So, to meander is to wind aimlessly.
"MEANDER" To meander is to wander around without any specific purpose, either literally or figuratively, in a way that reminds you of a winding river. Part of speech:
The first three episodes of Lost were great before the plot started to meander.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "meander" means when you can explain it without saying "go around aimlessly" or "move from place to place without purpose."
Fill in the blanks: "When I'm (doing something mindless), my thoughts meander: why _____, and how _____?"
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
1. The opposite of MEANDER is
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
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