roam
pronunciation
How to pronounce roam in British English:
UK [rəʊm]
How to pronounce roam in American English:
US [roʊm]
-
- Verb:
- move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
Word Origin
- roam (v.)
- c. 1300, romen, possibly from Old English *ramian "act of wandering about," which is probably related to aræman "arise, lift up." There are no certain cognate forms in other Germanic languages, but Barnhart points to Old Norse reimuðr "act of wandering about," reimast "to haunt." "Except in late puns, there is no evidence of connexion with the Romance words denoting pilgrims or pilgrimages to Rome ...." [OED], such as Spanish romero "a pilot-fish; a pilgrim;" Old French romier "travelling as a pilgrim; a pilgrim," from Medieval Latin romerius "a pilgrim" (originally to Rome). Related: Roamed; roamer; roaming.
Example
- 1. And it 's not just cactus that would roam .
- 2. The wild horses that roam the island were often our only companions .
- 3. Simply put , they tend to roam the web like a huge playground , whereas europeans and americans are more likely to use it as a gigantic library .
- 4. Some children in the north live ferally : they are known as kotjebi , or " fluttering swallows " , and roam in packs .
- 5. Academy brokers hired by the department roam the land like medieval tax collectors , threatening and cajoling governors and head teachers , trying to force them into liaisons with corporate sponsors .