different between ramble vs dawdle

English

Etymology

An altered form (with dissimilation of mm to mb) of dialectal rammle, from Middle English *ramlen, *ramelen, frequentative of Middle English ramen (“to roam, ramble”); compare Old Swedish rambla (“to make a noise”), Danish ramle (“to stumble; collapse; thunder; boom”); equivalent to roam +? -le.

"mid-15 c., perhaps frequentative of 'romen' 'to walk, go' perhaps via 'romblen' (late 14 c.) 'to ramble.' The vowel change perhaps by influence of Middle Dutch 'rammelen,' a derivative of 'rammen' 'copulate,' 'used of the night wanderings of the amorous cat.' Meaning 'to talk or write incoherently' is from 1630s".

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??æmb?l/
• Rhymes: -æmb?l

Noun

ramble (plural rambles)

1. A leisurely stroll; a recreational walk in the countryside.
2. A rambling; an instance of someone talking at length without direction.
3. (mining) A bed of shale over the seam of coal.
4. A section of woodland suitable for leisurely walking.

Translations

Verb

ramble (third-person singular simple present rambles, present participle rambling, simple past and past participle rambled)

1. To move about aimlessly, or on a winding course
2. To walk for pleasure; to amble or saunter.
3. To lead the life of a vagabond or itinerant; to move about with no fixed place of address.
4. To talk or write incessantly, unclearly, or incoherently, with many digressions.

5. To follow a winding path or course.

Synonyms

• (talk or write unclearly, or incoherently): drivel, sperg

Translations

References

Further reading

• ramble in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• ramble in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• ramble at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• Ambler, Balmer, Blamer, Marble, ambler, blamer, lamber, marble

English

Etymology

First attested around 1656; variant of daddle (“to walk unsteadily”), perhaps influenced by daw, since the bird was regarded as sluggish and silly. Not in general use until around 1775. Compare also German daddeln (“to play”), German verdaddeln (“to waste (time), neglect, ruin”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?d??d?l/
• Rhymes: -??d?l
• Homophone: doddle (in accents with the cot-caught merger)

Verb

dawdle (third-person singular simple present dawdles, present participle dawdling, simple past and past participle dawdled)

1. (intransitive) To spend time idly and unfruitfully; to waste time.
2. (transitive) To spend (time) without haste or purpose.

3. (intransitive) To move or walk lackadaisically.

Translations

See also

• dally, dander, dandle, diddle, loaf, piddle, wander, doodle

Noun

dawdle (plural dawdles)

1. A dawdler.
   • 1766, George Colman the Elder and David Garrick, The Clandestine Marriage, Act I, page 13

     Where is this dawdle of a housekeeper?

2. A slow walk, journey.
3. An easily accomplished task; a doddle.

Anagrams

• Dewald, Waddle, dwaled, waddle, walded