Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To engage in fanciful daydreaming.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To daydream.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb have a daydream; indulge in a fantasy

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From the practice of wandering areas where sheep graze to gather tufts of wool caught on vegetation .]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Back-formation from woolgathering.

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Examples

  • Lately I find that when I know what I'm looking for, I'll order from Amazon; when I don't know what I'm looking for, Changing Hands or Bookman's are good places to go, if only to woolgather.

    What's Your Favorite Bookstore? 2009

  • Uhura, pleased that he was now with the mission in soul as well as body, let him woolgather.

    CATALYST OF SORROWS Margaret Wander Bonanno 2004

  • Uhura, pleased that he was now with the mission in soul as well as body, let him woolgather.

    CATALYST OF SORROWS Margaret Wander Bonanno 2004

  • It seems that persons engaged in listening to something boring -- an uninspired teacher, a witness being grilled on the finer points of the fine print in a fine old contract -- begin to daydream -- to woolgather -- losing focus on the task at hand.

    Second Effort 2009

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