To meander means to follow a winding, wandering path rather than going straight. Rivers meander across landscapes, creating curves and loops as they flow toward the sea. The Mississippi River meanders for 2,340 miles from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, taking countless turns instead of rushing straight south.

When you meander through a museum, you're not marching purposefully from room to room. You're drifting where your curiosity leads: pausing at a fascinating painting, wandering back to look at something again, following whatever catches your eye. A conversation meanders when it starts about one topic and gently winds its way through several others before arriving somewhere unexpected.

The word suggests unhurried movement without a fixed destination or timeline. You might meander home from school, stopping to watch a squirrel or examine an interesting rock. A story meanders if it takes scenic detours instead of racing to its conclusion. A meandering path through a garden invites you to slow down and notice your surroundings, rather than simply getting from point A to point B.