# meander

> English word · Noun · IPA /miˈæn.də(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #42,263

## Definitions
1. One of the turns of a winding, crooked, or involved course.
2. One of a series of regular sinuous curves, bends, loops, turns, or windings in the channel of a river, stream, or other watercourse
3. A tortuous or winding journey.
4. Synonym of Greek key, a decorative border; fretwork.
5. A self-avoiding closed curve which intersects a line a number of times.
6. A path on which the directions, distances, and elevations are noted, as a part of a land survey.
7. A decorative border consisting of a repeated linear motif, particularly of intersecting perpendicular lines.

## Etymology
From Latin Maeander, from Ancient Greek Μαίανδρος (Maíandros) – a river in Asia Minor (present day Turkey) known for its winding course (modern Turkish Menderes).

## Easily confused with
- **Mendes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meander-vs-mendes)
- **Mendez** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meander-vs-mendez)
- **Mendel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meander-vs-mendel)
- **meaner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meander-vs-meaner)
- **Meade** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meade-vs-meander)
- **manner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manner-vs-meander)
- **meager** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meager-vs-meander)
- **manger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manger-vs-meander)
- **Mandel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mandel-vs-meander)
- **madder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/madder-vs-meander)

## Common misspellings (10)
`emander`, `maender`, `meadner`, `meandder`, `meanderr`, `meandre`, `meanedr`, `meannder`, `menader`, `mmeander`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/meander