different between fling vs wander

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fl??/
• Rhymes: -??

Etymology 1

From Middle English fling, from the verb (see below). Compare Icelandic flengur (“a fast sprint”).

Noun

fling (plural flings)

1. An act of throwing, often violently.
2. An act of moving the limbs or body with violent movements, especially in a dance.

3. An act or period of unrestrained indulgence.
   • 1838, Douglas William Jerrold, Men of Character

     When I was as young as you, I had my fling. I led a life of pleasure.
4. A short casual sexual relationship.

   Synonym: hookup

5. (figuratively) An attempt, a try (as in "give it a fling").
6. (obsolete) A severe or contemptuous remark; an expression of sarcastic scorn; a gibe or taunt.
   • c. 1732, Jonathan Swift, Epistle to a Lady

     I, who love to have a fling, / Both at senate house and king.

7. A lively Scottish country dance.

8. (obsolete) A trifling matter; an object of contempt.
   • ante 1800, old proverb

     England were but a fling / Save for the crooked stick and the grey goose wing.

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English flingen, flengen, from Old Norse flengja (“to whip”), from Proto-Germanic *flangijan? (“to beat, whip”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleh?k- (“to beat”). Cognate with Icelandic flengja (“to spank”), Norwegian flengja (“to rip, tear, or fling open”).

Verb

fling (third-person singular simple present flings, present participle flinging, simple past flung or (colloquial or dialectal, nonstandard) flang or (nonstandard) flinged, past participle flung or (nonstandard) flinged)

1. (intransitive, now archaic) To move (oneself) abruptly or violently; to rush or dash.
   • 1748, Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, Letter 113:

     I see, sir, said I, I see what a man I am with. […] And away I flung, leaving him seemingly vexed, and in confusion.

   • I flung closer to his breast, / As sword that, after battle, flings to sheath.

2. (transitive) To throw with violence or quick movement; to hurl.
   • I know thy generous temper well. / Fling but the appearance of dishonour on it, / It straight takes fire.
3. (intransitive, archaic) To throw; to wince; to flounce.
   • 1836, Helen Crocket, The Ettrick Shepherd's Last Tale

     The horse flung most potently, making his heels fly aloft in the air.

4. (intransitive, archaic) To utter abusive language; to sneer.

Translations

English

Etymology

From Middle English wandren, wandrien, from Old English wandrian (“to wander, roam, fly around, hover; change; stray, err”), from Proto-Germanic *wandr?n? (“to wander”), from Proto-Indo-European *wend?- (“to turn, wind”), equivalent to wend +? -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with Scots wander (“to wander”), German wandern (“to wander, roam, hike, migrate”), Swedish vandra (“to wander, hike”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?w?nd?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?w?nd?/
• (West Midlands, especially Birmingham) IPA^(key): /?w?nd?/, IPA^(key): /?w?nd?/
• Rhymes: -?nd?(?)
• Hyphenation: wan?der

Verb

wander (third-person singular simple present wanders, present participle wandering, simple past and past participle wandered)

1. (intransitive) To move without purpose or specified destination; often in search of livelihood.

   • They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins.

   • “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; […]. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.

   Synonyms: err, roam

2. (intransitive) To stray; stray from one's course; err.
   • Bible, Psalms cxix.10:

     O, let me not wander from thy commandments.

3. (intransitive) To commit adultery.

   Synonym: cheat

4. (intransitive) To go somewhere indirectly or at varying speeds; to move in a curved path.
5. (intransitive) Of the mind, to lose focus or clarity of argument or attention.

   Synonym: drift

Conjugation

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

wander (countable and uncountable, plural wanders)

1. (countable) The act or instance of wandering.

2. (uncountable) The situation where a value or signal etc. deviates from the correct or normal value.

   Hyponym: polar wander

   baseline wander in ECG signals

Translations

Anagrams

• Andrew, Darwen, Warden, drawne, warden, warned

German

Pronunciation

Verb

wander

1. inflection of wandern:
   1. first-person singular present
   2. singular imperative