err-, errat-

To wander; to stray: The hikers were aberring from the main trails in order to see the wildflowers in the field.

1. A state or condition significantly different from the normal: The reality of the housing development was certainly an aberrance from what Sam had expected.
2. A wandering from what is considered to be the "right way"; a deviation from truth: The confessions by the criminals that were made at the police station appeared to be aberrances when compared to the actual facts of the case.

1. A situation that is significantly different from that which is considered to be normal or acceptable: Stealing is considered an aberrancy in terms of social expectations.
2. Something which is not considered to be proper, right, or usual: Dr. Carla was concerned about several aberrancies which she detected during the routine health examination of her patient.

1. Descriptive of someone who is deviating from what is considered to be proper or from an expected course of action: Timothy's aberrant personality frequently got him into trouble with his employers.

Driving on the wrong side of a road is considered an aberrant driving practice and will result in a traffic ticket or may even cause a serious accident.

2. Not the ordinary, usual, or normal type; exceptional; abnormal: In circuses of the last century, there were often displays of pitiful animals that were aberrant in some way, like having an extra toe, a double tail, or more than one head.

1. To diverge or deviate from what is expected by someone or those who are supposed to be doing something: Henry's severe headache was the result of his having aberrated from his commitment to staying sober.

Carl decided to aberrate from the usual route to his farm when he took a side road.

Allison was aberrating from her normal work schedule so she could attend a concert in the evening.

2. To produce something that is not considered to be normal or proper: When Claudia aberrates from her usual piano-practice schedule, her musical performance is never up to its normal standard.

The chemist accidentally mixed up the wrong chemical formula and therefore aberrated a very bad odor in the laboratory.

1. A wandering or straying away; a departure or deviation from what is considered normal or from the socially recognized path: The horror novel was considered an aberration as far as the tastes of the reading public were concerned.

The new rules of the club were confusing and full of aberrations.

2. A defect in a lens or mirror, causing a distorted image or one with colored edges: The blurred photographs indicate that Ron's camera has a lens with an aberration.

The flaw in a lens that doesn't focus properly is called a spherical aberration.

3. In astronomy, a small periodic change in the apparent position of a star or other astronomical object, caused by the motion of the earth around the sun: The astronomer noticed an unusual aberration in the constellations of the Northern Hemisphere.

In astronomy, an aberration is an apparent displacement in the position of a celestial object as a result of the time it takes for light from the object to reach an earthbound observer and to the orbital motion of the earth during that time.

4. A disorder or abnormal alteration in one's mental state: Three authors got together to see how many aberrations they could include in the Worst Novel of the Year.

The only aberration that Marcia's mother has is an occasional lapse of memory.

Characterized by deviating or turning away from what is considered to be normal, usual, or expected; normally, something that is not welcome: The officials described the students' violence at the demonstration as an aberrational disagreement.

1. A reference to something that is the worst kind or extremely wrong: Hugo said that the accusation that he was quitting his job was arrant stupidity.

When Jim forgot to wish his sister "all the best" on her birthday, she felt he had shown an arrant rudeness.

2. Etymology: the term arrant was originally a different form of errant, and it had the meaning of "wandering", as in the phrases knights errant and errant thieves which referred to both types being "on the move".

Then errant was applied to knightly wanderers, and the spelling arrant was applied to "knavish drifters" referring to "outright, confirmed, manifest", and being "notoriously bad" or "unacceptable".

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1. To go astray in thought or belief; to be mistaken; to be incorrect: Sonia erred in her thinking that her shopping was completed.
2. To go adrift morally; to sin: The reverend cautioned his congregation not to err in their daily behavior.
3. To drift off from the true course, aim, or purpose: The captain erred when he directed the ship to sail south instead of east to the island.
4. To wander from the right direction; to lose the way from the true course or purpose: Despite her promise to stop smoking, Laura was erring from time to time and sneaked some smokes.
5. To miss the right way, in morals or religion: There was an emphasis at the religious college that students should not err in their commitment to their faith and that they should live morally.
6. To deviate from the path or line of duty: The soldier erred in achieving his responsibility as indicated by his superior officer.
7. To stray by design or mistake: During the drive to the city, William noticed that he was erring by taking the wrong road.
8. To make a mistake; to commit an error: The members of the group erred in their estimate of how long it would take to complete the project.
9. To do wrong from ignorance or inattention: The child erred in her chores because she was distracted by playing with her puppy.
10. To wander; to ramble: Jacob enjoys erring in old cities, admiring the narrow streets and interesting shops.

A tendency to make mistakes or errors: Hank's repeated errableness is going to get him into trouble one of these days.

Wandering, meandering, or roaming: Lester enjoyed the most errabund holiday of all his previous summer holidays.

1. The fallibility of or the probability of making blunders: The errancies of the football team was predictable because they had not practiced sufficiently.
2. Incorrect or morally wrong behavior: Hans confessed his errancy and begged for forgiveness when he took money from his father's wallet when he was asleep.
3. A tendency to do wrong: the propensity for making mistakes or acting improperly: The puppy was always exhibiting errancies when she frolicked in the muddy water.
4. Holding views that disagree with accepted church doctrine; especially, a disagreement with Papal infallibility: Because of her errancies, Francis was asked to leave the church.

1. Relating to a deviation from a regular or a proper course; straying: Fortunately the mother saw her errant child leaving through what was supposed to be a locked gate and wandering over to the neighbor's yard before he went too far away.
2. Characterized by behaving improperly: Teresa's errant husband finally arrived home after having consumed too much alcohol at the local bar.
3. Pertaining to a journeying or traveling in quest of an adventure: Ralph was considered to be an errant traveler who spent his summer vacations hiking in a different national park every year.
4. A reference to an aimless or a lightly changing manner: The errant breeze was blowing in the area. © ALL rights are reserved.
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Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
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1. A reference to behaving in an unacceptable manner: Running into the house with muddy feet is a very errantic activity and it is not at all the right thing to do.
2. Descriptive of anyone or anything wandering from an intended course, or not reaching an intended destination: When the engine died, the car coasted in a most errantic manner down the hill and stopped before hitting a tree.
3. Related to roving in search of adventure and romance: Jason enjoyed a most errantic summer holiday with just a backpack and a train ticket.

A way of life in which a person travels around in search of new adventures: Mike's cousin always planned to live a life of errantry in other countries.