divagate

UK: /ˈdaɪvəˌɡeɪt/ US: (dī′və gāt′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

di•va•gate  (dī′və gāt′), v.i., -gat•ed, -gat•ing. 

1. to wander;
   stray.
2. to digress in speech.

• Latin dīvagātus (past participle of dīvagārī to wander off ), equivalent. to dī- di-² + vag- (stem of vagārī to wander) + -ātus -ate¹
• 1590–1600

di′va•ga′tion, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

divagate / ˈdaɪvəˌɡeɪt/ verb

1. (intransitive) to digress or wander

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin di-² + vagārī to wander

ˌdivaˈgation noun