A Topical Dictionary: Search for straggle

Dictionary Results For "straggle" [?]/[OPML]

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English

Verb

To stray from the road, course or line of march.
:He straggled away from the crowd and went off on his own.
To wander about; ramble.
To spread at irregular intervals.

Derived terms

(noun) straggler
(adjective) stragglingly

fa:straggle fr:straggle io:straggle te:straggle vi:straggle

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English Straggle \Strag"gle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Straggled; p. pr. &
vb. n. Straggling.] [Freq. of OE. straken to roam, to
stroke. See Stroke, v. t.]
1. To wander from the direct course or way; to rove; to
stray; to wander from the line of march or desert the line
of battle; as, when troops are on the march, the men
should not straggle. --Dryden.
[1913 Webster]

2. To wander at large; to roam idly about; to ramble.
[1913 Webster]

The wolf spied out a straggling kid. --L'Estrange.
[1913 Webster]

3. To escape or stretch beyond proper limits, as the branches
of a plant; to spread widely apart; to shoot too far or
widely in growth.
[1913 Webster]

Trim off the small, superfluous branches on each
side of the hedge that straggle too far out.
--Mortimer.
[1913 Webster]

4. To be dispersed or separated; to occur at intervals.
"Straggling pistol shots." --Sir W. Scott.
[1913 Webster]

They came between Scylla and Charybdis and the
straggling rocks. --Sir W.
Raleigh.
[1913 Webster]

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English Straggle \Strag"gle\, n.
The act of straggling. [R.] --Carlyle.
[1913 Webster]

WordNet straggle
n : a wandering or disorderly grouping (of things or persons);
"a straggle of outbuildings"; "a straggle of followers"
v 1: wander from a direct or straight course [syn: sidetrack, depart,
digress]
2: go, come, or spread in a rambling or irregular way;
"Branches straggling out quite far" [syn: sprawl]

Moby Dictionary
amble , barge , bat around , be lengthy , be prolonged , belong ,
bowl along , bum , bundle , clump , count ties , crane , dawdle ,
divagate , drag , drift , err , excurse , extend , extend out ,
fall behind , flit , flounce , foot , footslog , gad , gad about ,
gallivant , get behind , go about , go adrift , go astray ,
go the rounds , halt , hang back , hippety-hop , hit the road ,
hit the trail , hitch , hobble , hobo , hop , jaunt , jog , jolt , jump ,
knock about , knock around , lag , limp , linger , linger behind ,
loiter , lumber , lunge , lurch , maunder , meander , mince , mooch ,
mosey , nomadize , outreach , outstretch , pace , paddle , peg ,
peregrinate , pererrate , piaffe , piaffer , plod , prance , prowl , rack ,
ramble , range , reach out , roam , roll , rove , run about , sashay ,
saunter , scramble , scuff , scuffle , scuttle , shamble , shuffle ,
sidle , single-foot , skip , slink , slither , slog , slouch , snake ,
sprangle , sprawl , spread-eagle , stagger , stalk , stamp ,
stand on tiptoes , stomp , straddle , stray , stretch , stretch out ,
stride , stroll , strut , stump , swagger , swing , tittup , toddle ,
totter , trail , trail behind , traipse , tramp , trip , trudge , twist ,
twist and turn , vagabond , vagabondize , waddle , walk the tracks ,
wamble , wander , wayfare , wiggle , wind , wobble