straggle
straggle
Definition
strag·gle (strag′əl)
intransitive verb -·gled, -·gling
- to stray from the path or course, or wander from the main group
- to wander or be scattered over a wide area; ramble
- to leave, arrive, or occur at irregular intervals
- to hang in a disheveled manner, as hair, clothes, etc.
Etymology: ME straglen, prob. for *straklen, freq. of straken, to go about, wander, roam
noun
a straggly group
strag′·gler noun
straggle
Synonyms
straggle
Usage Examples
Object
- village: Aspatria is a long straggling village, standing on a sandy ridge, which slopes from each side.
- street: Borth is a very desolate place consisting of a long straggling street of the houses of fishermen.
- town: Cirencester was held for Parliament in early 1643, but it was a straggling town with inadequate defenses.
- house: The church in this village would contain several thousands of persons; and the village is reduced to a few straggling houses.
- line: By this time walking wounded were arriving in a steady straggling line at the advanced dressing Station alongside the battery.
- hamlet: At Golders Green, a straggling hamlet in 1901, ( fn.
Modifying Another Word
- back: Now, at 2030, hrs they straggle back with empty tanks.
- very: The village is very straggling, comprising many villa residences surrounded by gardens.
- somewhat: Whilst somewhat straggling in formation, the old heart of the village has considerable charm.
Followed by an intransitive particle
- out: The word was passed along and soon we were all afoot and straggling out into the moonlit courtyard.
- along: Richard and Dalek would push on at their own pace and we would straggle along at ours.
- off: But in the end they straggle off, muttering.
- down: The rather industrial village straggles down to the muddy Stour, and on the far bank sits the fine Essex town of Manningtree.
Followed by a transitive particle
- up: The sun rose as he came out of the skirts of the wood and saw Tunstall hamlet straggling up the opposite hill.
Particle object:
- hill: The sun rose as he came out of the skirts of the wood and saw Tunstall hamlet straggling up the opposite hill.
Preposition: of
- house: The view takes in the straggle of village houses, and the lake beyond.
Browse dictionary entries near straggle
- Strafford
- strafe
- Stradivarius
- Stradivari
- straddle
- Strad
- Strachey
- Strabo
- strabismus
- str
