erraticaladj.n.
/ɛˈratɪkəl/ A. adj.
1. Wandering.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > aspects of travel > travel from place to place > [adjective] > with no fixed aim or wandering
wanderingc1000
erringa1340
waggeringa1382
vagant1382
vagabond1426
erroneousa1464
fugitive1481
wavering1487
vagrantc1522
gadding1545
roaming1566
roving1576
straggling1589
rambling?1609
wagand1614
wheelinga1616
gadling1616
vagring1619
erratical1620
vaguing1627
erratic1656
planetical1656
waif1724
vagrarious1795
stravaiging1825
vagarious1882
pirooting1958
1620 Bp. J. Hall Honor Married Clergie ii. x. 200 This mans wit wanders with his erraticall Synode.
1647 J. Mayne Serm. against False Prophets 31 Those erraticall, uncertain, wandring night~fires..which shine only to lead Travellers out of the way.
1650 T. Fuller Pisgah-sight of Palestine iv. ii. 20 The Midianites especially led erraticall lives.
1721–1800 in N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict.
2. † a. Deviating from a given type. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > order > disorder > irregularity > unconformity > abnormality > [adjective]
enorm?1518
enormousa1533
enormious1604
exorbitant1607
erratical1646
wanton1743
anormal1812
abnormal1817
freak-storm1898
1646 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica ii. vi. 95 And therefore come not forth in generations erraticall, or different from each other. View more context for this quotation
b. Guided by no rule, capricious, irregular, strange.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > order > disorder > irregularity > [adjective]
uneven1390
irregular1483
scambling1592
prevaricant1644
eccentrica1649
vagous1660
erratical1698
scrambling1778
unregular1884
1698 W. Chilcot Pract. Treat. Evil Thoughts iv. 105 Unhappy conjunctions oftentimes prove the consequence of such erratical motions.
1854 J. Ruskin Two Paths ii. 70 And enough bad teaching, to bring out very erratical results.
Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the universe > planet > [noun] > of older astronomy
planetc1300
erratic starc1374
erring starc1449
seven starsc1530
straying star1585
wanderer1615
erratical1647
erratic1715
1647 W. Lilly Christian Astrol. clxxxv. 796 Were the scurvy position of ♄ in ♋ seconded with other malignant positures of the Erraticals.
Derivatives
eˈrratically adv. in an erratic manner; irregularly, capriciously.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > change of direction of movement > [adverb] > without fixed course
mislicheOE
around1596
erratically1613
random1619
deviously1742
randomly1765
the mind > will > decision > irresolution or vacillation > inconstancy > [adverb] > capriciously
unstaidly1556
fantastically1567
humorously1593
skittishly1598
fantasticly1599
garishly1606
humoursomely1653
whimsily1654
quirkishly1673
peevishlya1680
whimsically1711
fancifully1741
capriciously1746
flightily1780
erratically1861
tricksily1866
vagariously1892
quirkily1926
1613 M. Ridley Short Treat. Magneticall Bodies 99 Varieth their direction diversely, and erratically.
1775 in J. Ash New Dict. Eng. Lang.
1861 G. Wilson & A. Geikie Mem. E. Forbes xii. 427 The remainder of this year was spent somewhat erratically.
1862 E. Bulwer-Lytton Strange Story I. xxiv. 166 The needle stirred, indeed, but erratically.
1884 H. Sturmey Tricyclists' Indispensable Ann. 12 The machine is made to steer very erratically.
eˈrraticalness n.
ΚΠ
1727 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. II Erraticalness,..wandering Faculty.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1891; most recently modified version published online March 2021).
<
adj.n.1613