Emily Dickinson Lexicon

WAN'DER, v.i. [Sax. wandrian; D. wandelen, to walk; G. wandeln, to wander, to walk, to change, exchange or transform; Sw. vånda, to turn; vandra, to wander; Dan. vandler, to walk, to wander, to trade; vandel, behavior, deportment, conversation; It. andare, Sp. and Port. andar, to go; Sans. andara, a wanderer.]

1. To rove; to ramble here and there without any certain course or object in view; as, to wander over the fields; to wander about the town, or about the country. Men may sometimes wander for amusement or exercise. Persons sometimes wander because they have no home and are wretched, and sometimes because they have no occupation. They wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins. – Heb. xi. He wandereth about for bread. – Job xv. He was wandering in the field. Gen. xxxvii.
2. To leave home; to depart; to migrate. When God caused me to wander from my father's house. Gen. xx.
3. To depart from the subject in discussion; as, to wander from the point.
4. In a moral sense, to stray; to deviate; to depart from duty or rectitude. O let me not wander from thy commandments. Ps. cxix.
5. To be delirious; not to be under the guidance of reason; as, the mind wanders.