peregrination (2009-06-13)

Part of Speech: noun

Pronunciation: [pe-rê-gri-'ney-shên]

Definition: A long, meandering journey or walk; a course of travel.

Usage: Today's word implies long, drawn-out travels, "Randall's late night peregrinations always ended at Melody's door, where he could never bring himself to ring the bell." The verb works just as well, "Why is Fosdick peregrinating around Europe when he is needed here?"

Suggested Usage: Because it implies travel over a long period of time to various places, today's word is often used in the plural: "His European peregrinations left Dirk physically exhausted and speaking with an undeterminable accent." This noun is derived from the verb "peregrinate" which is based on the adjective peregrine "foreign; migratory, traveling."

Etymology: French "peregrination" based on Latin peregrinus "foreign, strange," itself from pereger "abroad, away" from per "through, beyond" + ager "land, field," also found in "agriculture." English "acre" derives from the same source as "ager." English "for, fore-, forth, and first" derive from the same source as Latin "per-" as does the Russian prefix pere- found in perestroika "rebuilding."