verb (used without object)
- to walk with a leisurely gait; stroll: sauntering through the woods.
noun
- a leisurely walk or ramble; stroll.
- a leisurely gait.
verb (intr)
- to walk in a casual manner; stroll
noun
- a leisurely pace or stroll
- a leisurely old-time dance
v.late 15c., santren “to muse, be in reverie,” of uncertain origin despite many absurd speculations. Meaning “walk with a leisurely gait” is from 1660s, and may be a different word. Klein suggests this sense of the word derives via Anglo-French sauntrer (mid-14c.) from French s’aventurer “to take risks,” but OED finds this “unlikely.” Related: Sauntered; sauntering. n.“a leisurely stroll,” 1828, from saunter (v.). Earlier it meant “idle occupation, diversion” (1728).