ramble

plural rambles

1. A leisurely stroll; a recreational walk in the countryside.

   The place was a favourite with all, and the ramble in this quarter was quite a regular custom of the afternoon with the fair heiress of Colonel Walton in particular.

   1835, William Gilmore Simms, The Partisan, Harper, Chapter XI, page 138

   1 more example

   Marianne was prevailed upon to join her sisters in their usual walk, instead of wandering away by herself. Hitherto she had carefully avoided every companion in her rambles. If her sisters intended to walk on the downs, she directly stole away towards the lanes;[…]

   1811, Jane Austen, chapter 16, in Sense and Sensibility

2. A rambling; an instance of someone talking at length without direction.
3. businessA bed of shale over the seam of coal.
4. A section of woodland suitable for leisurely walking.

   Someone proposed that we play in one of the small clearings in a gay crusing ^([sic]) area in Central Park called the rambles.

   1981 April 25, 10, “Growth Of A Gay Soccer League”, in Gay Community News, page 10

present singular third person rambles · participle present rambling · participle past rambled · past rambled

1. To move about aimlessly, or on a winding course.

   Weak from drifting on the longest mosey ever rambled. Weeks with no meal or beverage. Blistering desert pounding me to the crosine-tipped ^([sic]) brink of insanity. Yet perhaps there is truth in sand madness.

   2007 December 9, Xavier Renegade Angel, season 1, episode 6, spoken by Xavier (Vernon Chatman)

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.

   1994, Richard Thompson, “Beeswing” We was drinking more in those days and tempers reached a pitch And like a fool I let her run with the rambling itch

4. oftenwith onaboutTo talk or write incessantly, unclearly, or incoherently, with many digressions.

   Francine has a tendency to ramble when it gets to be late in the evening.

   3 more examples

   She often rambles about bees' behavior, both in the hive and in the field.

   Usually I don't mind listening to her ramble on a bit; it can be soothing.

   Last night she was rambling on about horticultural methods, which was so soothing that I nodded off.

   Synonyms: drivel, sperg

5. To follow a winding path or course.

   The river rambled through the mountains.