straggle

straggle
    n 1: a wandering or disorderly grouping (of things or persons);
         "a straggle of outbuildings"; "a straggle of followers"
    v 1: wander from a direct or straight course [syn: {sidetrack},
         {depart}, {digress}, {straggle}]
    2: go, come, or spread in a rambling or irregular way; "Branches
       straggling out quite far" [syn: {sprawl}, {straggle}]
    

Straggle \Strag"gle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Straggled}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Straggling}.] [Freq. of OE. straken to roam, to
   stroke. See {Stroke}, v. t.]
   1. To wander from the direct course or way; to rove; to
      stray; to wander from the line of march or desert the line
      of battle; as, when troops are on the march, the men
      should not straggle. --Dryden.
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   2. To wander at large; to roam idly about; to ramble.
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            The wolf spied out a straggling kid.  --L'Estrange.
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   3. To escape or stretch beyond proper limits, as the branches
      of a plant; to spread widely apart; to shoot too far or
      widely in growth.
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            Trim off the small, superfluous branches on each
            side of the hedge that straggle too far out.
                                                  --Mortimer.
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   4. To be dispersed or separated; to occur at intervals.
      "Straggling pistol shots." --Sir W. Scott.
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            They came between Scylla and Charybdis and the
            straggling rocks.                     --Sir W.
                                                  Raleigh.
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Straggle \Strag"gle\, n.
   The act of straggling. [R.] --Carlyle.
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137 Moby Thesaurus words for "straggle":
      amble, barge, bat around, be lengthy, be prolonged, belong,
      bowl along, bum, bundle, clump, count ties, crane, dawdle,
      divagate, drag, drift, err, excurse, extend, extend out,
      fall behind, flit, flounce, foot, footslog, gad, gad about,
      gallivant, get behind, go about, go adrift, go astray,
      go the rounds, halt, hang back, hippety-hop, hit the road,
      hit the trail, hitch, hobble, hobo, hop, jaunt, jog, jolt, jump,
      knock about, knock around, lag, limp, linger, linger behind,
      loiter, lumber, lunge, lurch, maunder, meander, mince, mooch,
      mosey, nomadize, outreach, outstretch, pace, paddle, peg,
      peregrinate, pererrate, piaffe, piaffer, plod, prance, prowl, rack,
      ramble, range, reach out, roam, roll, rove, run about, sashay,
      saunter, scramble, scuff, scuffle, scuttle, shamble, shuffle,
      sidle, single-foot, skip, slink, slither, slog, slouch, snake,
      sprangle, sprawl, spread-eagle, stagger, stalk, stamp,
      stand on tiptoes, stomp, straddle, stray, stretch, stretch out,
      stride, stroll, strut, stump, swagger, swing, tittup, toddle,
      totter, trail, trail behind, traipse, tramp, trip, trudge, twist,
      twist and turn, vagabond, vagabondize, waddle, walk the tracks,
      wamble, wander, wayfare, wiggle, wind, wobble