roam

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To wander or travel about freely with no fixed destination.

   The cattle were free to roam across the open fields.

2. 2
   verb

   To move around an area, especially looking for something.

   Gangs of youths roamed the streets at night.

3. 3
   verb

   Of a mobile phone, to connect to a network outside its home area.

   My phone kept roaming while I was travelling abroad.

From Middle English romen, from Old English rāmian, from Proto-Germanic *raimōną (“to wander”), from *raim- (“to move, raise”), from *h₃reyH- (“to move, lift, flow”). Akin to Old English ārǣman (“to arise, stand up, lift up”), Old High German rāmēn (“to aim”) ( > archaic German rahmen (“to strive”)), Middle Dutch rammen (“to night-wander, to copulate”), rammelen (“to wander about, ramble”). More at ramble.

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