WAN

n. The quality of being wan; wanness. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Tinged with wan from lack of sleep. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To grow wan; to become pale or sickly in looks. “All his visage wanned.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

And ever he mutter'd and madden'd, and ever wann'd with despair. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

obs. imp. of Win. Won. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. vöndr, akin to Dan. vaand, Goth. wandus; perhaps originally, a pliant twig, and akin to E. wind to turn. ] 1. A small stick; a rod; a verge. [ 1913 Webster ]

With good smart blows of a wand on his back. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Specifically: (a) A staff of authority. [ 1913 Webster ]

Though he had both spurs and wand, they seemed rather marks of sovereignty than instruments of punishment. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) A rod used by conjurers, diviners, magicians, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Picus bore a buckler in his hand;
His other waved a long divining wand. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wand of peace (Scots Law), a wand, or staff, carried by the messenger of a court, which he breaks when deforced (that is, hindered from executing process), as a symbol of the deforcement, and protest for remedy of law. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To travel over without a certain course; to traverse; to stroll through. [ R. ] “[ Elijah ] wandered this barren waste.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Wandered p. pr. & vb. n. Wandering. ] [ OE. wandren, wandrien, AS. wandrian; akin to G. wandern to wander; fr. AS. windan to turn. See Wind to turn. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To ramble here and there without any certain course or with no definite object in view; to range about; to stroll; to rove; as, to wander over the fields. [ 1913 Webster ]

They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins. Heb. xi. 37. [ 1913 Webster ]

He wandereth abroad for bread. Job xv. 23. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To go away; to depart; to stray off; to deviate; to go astray; as, a writer wanders from his subject. [ 1913 Webster ]

When God caused me to wander from my father's house. Gen. xx. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

O, let me not wander from thy commandments. Ps. cxix. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To be delirious; not to be under the guidance of reason; to rave; as, the mind wanders. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To roam; rove; range; stroll; gad; stray; straggly; err; swerve; deviate; depart. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who wanders; a rambler; one who roves; hence, one who deviates from duty. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. from Wander, v. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wandering albatross (Zool.), the great white albatross. See Illust. of Albatross. --
Wandering cell (Physiol.), an animal cell which possesses the power of spontaneous movement, as one of the white corpuscles of the blood. --
Wandering Jew (Bot.), any one of several creeping species of Tradescantia, which have alternate, pointed leaves, and a soft, herbaceous stem which roots freely at the joints. They are commonly cultivated in hanging baskets, window boxes, etc. --
Wandering kidney (Med.), a morbid condition in which one kidney, or, rarely, both kidneys, can be moved in certain directions; -- called also floating kidney, movable kidney. --
Wandering liver (Med.), a morbid condition of the liver, similar to wandering kidney. --
Wandering mouse (Zool.), the whitefooted, or deer, mouse. See Illust. of Mouse. --
Wandering spider (Zool.), any one of a tribe of spiders that wander about in search of their prey. [ 1913 Webster ]