woolgathering

[ wool-gath-er-ing ]

noun

1. indulgence in idle fancies and in daydreaming; absentmindedness:

   His woolgathering was a handicap in school.

2. gathering gather of the tufts of wool shed by sheep and caught on bushes.

woolgathering

/ ˈwʊlˌɡæðərɪŋ /

noun

1. idle or absent-minded indulgence in fantasy; daydreaming

Derived Forms

• ˈwoolˌgatherer, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of woolgathering¹

First recorded in 1545–55; wool + gathering

Example Sentences

The train lurched over a patch of rough tracks, jarring me out of my woolgathering.

From Literature

But such are the longueurs of this would-be slam-bang blockbuster directed by Robert Schwentke, that it sure does inspire woolgathering.

From New York Times

I listened to their woolgathering for a while, and then some artillery rumbled in the distance.

From New York Times

Chronic lateness is a personality characteristic just as much as smiling or shyness or empathy or mothering or woolgathering, to name a few of the more benign.

From Seattle Times

Most people spend between 30 and 47 percent of their waking hours spacing out, drifting off, lost in thought, woolgathering, in a brown study or building castles in the air.

From Scientific American

Related Words

• absorbed
• bemused
• distracted
• engaged
• engrossed
• fascinated
• forgetful
• obsessed