random
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: răn'dəm
ipa: /ˈɹændəm/
rhymes: -ændəm
homophone: randem
Forms: form: randoms
Etymology: From earlier randon, from Middle English randoun, raundon, from Old French randon, from randir (“to run, gallop”) (whence French randonnée (“long walk, hike”)), from Frankish *randiju (“a run, race”) or Old Norse rend (“a run, race”), both from Proto-Germanic *randijō, from *rinnaną (“run”, verb), from Proto-Indo-European *(H)r̥-nw- (“to flow, move, run”). Cognate with Middle Low German uprinden (“to jump up”), Danish rende (“to run”). See run.
Senses: examples: text: Still take advice ; though counsels, when they fly / At random, sometimes hit most happily.
ref: 1648, Robert Herrick, Hesperides, London: H. G. Clarke and Co., published 1844, page 134:
text: O ! many a shaft, at random sent, / Finds mark the archer little meant !
ref: 1815, Sir Walter Scott, The Lord of the Isles, page 216:
glosses: A roving motion; course without definite direction; lack of rule or method; chance.
examples: text: they were messagers vnto kyng Ban & Bors sent from kynge Arthur / therfor said the viij knyghtes ye shalle dye or be prysoners / for we ben knyghtes of kyng Claudas And therwith two of them dressid theire sperys / and Vlfyus and Brastias dressid theire speres and ranne to gyder with grete raundon
ref: 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter X, in Le Morte Darthur, book I:
english: they were messengers unto King Ban and Bors sent from King Arthur. Therefore, said the eight knights, ye shall die or be prisoners, for we be knights of King Claudas. And therewith two of them dressed their spears, and Ulfius and Brastias dressed their spears, and ran together with great random.
translation: they were messengers unto King Ban and Bors sent from King Arthur. Therefore, said the eight knights, ye shall die or be prisoners, for we be knights of King Claudas. And therewith two of them dressed their spears, and Ulfius and Brastias dressed their spears, and ran together with great random.
bold_translation_offsets: 289
295
text: […] for coragiouſly the two kynges newely foughte with great randon and force, they ſhewed their vigors and ſtrengthes and did ſo nobly that their coũter parties had none aduaũtage.
ref: 1548, Edward Hall, “The triumphant reigne of Kyng Henry the VIII”, in The Union of the two noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and Yorke (Hall’s Chronicle), page 82v:
synonyms: force
momentum
speed
velocity
glosses: Speed, full speed; impetuosity, force.
examples: text: Fortie yards will they shoot levell, or very neare the marke, and 120 is their best at Random.
ref: 1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, Kupperman, published 1988, page 144:
text: […] the angle at which the miſſive is to mount by ( if we will have it go to its furtheſt randome ) muſt be the half of a right one […]
ref: 1644, Sir Kenelm Digby, Two Treatises, page 125:
glosses: The full range of a bullet or other projectile; hence, the angle at which a weapon is tilted to allow the greatest range.
examples: text: The party was boring. It was full of randoms.
synonyms: rando
nobody
nonentity
glosses: An undefined, unknown or unimportant person; a person of no consequence.
topics: business
mining
glosses: The direction of a rake-vein.
examples: text: Utilization of all floor space underneath case racks and randoms is another feature of the modern composing room; […]
ref: 1935, Newspaper World, numbers 1930-1955, page 41:
text: Printers' frames and randoms
ref: 2002, Republic of Korea, number 2, page 502:
topics: media
printing
publishing
glosses: A frame for composing type.
Synonyms: vagrant
Derived terms: sense: second etymology
word: randy