Woolgathering means indulging in idle daydreaming or purposeless mental wandering.
Woolgathering refers to the act of indulging in idle daydreaming or aimless thought.
| Front | woolgathering \WOOL-gath-uh-ring\ |
|---|---|
| Back | noun Indulgence in idle daydreaming. ["Woolgathering" once literally referred to the act of gathering loose tufts of wool that had gotten caught on bushes and fences as sheep passed by. Woolgatherers must have seemed to wander aimlessly, gaining little for their efforts, for in the mid-16th century "woolgathering" began to appear in figurative phrases such as "my wits (or my mind) went a-woolgathering" -- in other words, "my mind went wandering aimlessly." From there, it wasn't long before the word "woolgathering" came to suggest the act of indulging in purposeless mind-wandering.] "My woolgathering was abruptly interrupted by a question from the flight attendant." |
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