woolgathering

[ woo l-gath-er-ing ]
/ ˈwʊlˌgæð ər ɪŋ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR woolgathering ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

indulgence in idle fancies and in daydreaming; absentmindedness: His woolgathering was a handicap in school.
gathering of the tufts of wool shed by sheep and caught on bushes.

Origin of woolgathering

First recorded in 1545–55; wool + gathering

Words nearby woolgathering

wooler, woolf, woolf, virginia, woolfell, woolgather, woolgathering, woolgrower, woollcott, woolled, woollen, woolley

Definition for woolgathering (2 of 2)

woolgather
[ woo l-gath-er ]
/ ˈwʊlˌgæð ər /

verb (used without object)

to engage in woolgathering.

Origin of woolgather

First recorded in 1840–50; by back formation from woolgathering

OTHER WORDS FROM woolgather

wool·gath·er·er, noun

Words related to woolgathering

bemused, obsessed, fascinated, distracted, engaged, forgetful, engrossed, absorbed, inattentive, careless, sloppy, fantasy, meditation, contemplation, trance, aloofness, reverie, neutrality, objectivity, indifference

Example sentences from the Web for woolgathering

British Dictionary definitions for woolgathering

woolgathering
/ (ˈwʊlˌɡæðərɪŋ) /

noun

idle or absent-minded indulgence in fantasy; daydreaming

Derived forms of woolgathering

woolgatherer, noun