Strag"gle (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Straggled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Straggling (?).] [Freq. of OE. straken to roam, to
stroke. See Stroke, v. t.] 1.
To wander from the direct course or way; to rove; to stray; to
wander from the line of march or desert the line of battle; as, when
troops are on the march, the men should not straggle.
Dryden.
2. To wander at large; to roam idly about; to
ramble.
The wolf spied out a straggling
kid.
L'Estrange.
3. To escape or stretch beyond proper limits,
as the branches of a plant; to spread widely apart; to shoot too far
or widely in growth.
Trim off the small, superfluous branches on each side
of the hedge that straggle too far out.
Mortimer.
4. To be dispersed or separated; to occur at
intervals. "Straggling pistol shots." Sir W.
Scott.
They came between Scylla and Charybdis and the
straggling rocks.
Sir W. Raleigh.
Strag"gle, n. The act of
straggling. [R.] Carlyle.
Strag"gle (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Straggled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Straggling (?).] [Freq. of OE. straken to roam, to
stroke. See Stroke, v. t.] 1.
To wander from the direct course or way; to rove; to stray; to
wander from the line of march or desert the line of battle; as, when
troops are on the march, the men should not straggle.
Dryden.
2. To wander at large; to roam idly about; to
ramble.
The wolf spied out a straggling
kid.
L'Estrange.
3. To escape or stretch beyond proper limits,
as the branches of a plant; to spread widely apart; to shoot too far
or widely in growth.
Trim off the small, superfluous branches on each side
of the hedge that straggle too far out.
Mortimer.
4. To be dispersed or separated; to occur at
intervals. "Straggling pistol shots." Sir W.
Scott.
They came between Scylla and Charybdis and the
straggling rocks.
Sir W. Raleigh.
Strag"gle, n. The act of
straggling. [R.] Carlyle.
