Rambler

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who strolls or wanders for enjoyment or exercise ; an individual who speaks or writes in a lengthy and confused manner ; a kind of climbing rose known for vigorous growth and abundant flowers
2. Someone who leisurely walks or hikes in outdoor areas ; a speaker or writer who tends to be long-winded and often unclear ; a climbing plant variety that produces many blossoms and spreads extensively
3. An individual who takes pleasant walks or hikes in natural settings ; a person who delivers or composes speech or text that is unnecessarily elaborate or disorganized ; a vigorous rose cultivar that climbs and flowers profusely

Etymology: The word is simple in construction: "ramble" with the agent suffix "-er", meaning one who rambles. The verb "ramble" is the less straightforward half. It is generally thought to be a Middle English word of uncertain origin, and it first meant to wander about aimlessly, with no reference to walking for pleasure. The sense of a long, roving, meandering talker followed from the same idea of going this way and that without a fixed course. The suffix has a longer pedigree. The ending "-er" passed into English through Middle English from Old English "-ere", which in turn descends from the Latin "-arius", a suffix meaning one connected with or engaged in something. Through Old French "-ier" and the Germanic branch, it became one of the most productive ways of naming a doer of an action in English, so "rambler" joins countless words like "baker" and "writer" that follow the same pattern.

Synonyms: wanderer, roamer, drifter

Antonyms: settler