nomad

American  

[noh-mad] / ˈnoʊ mæd /

noun

1. a member of a people or tribe that has no permanent abode but moves about from place to place, usually seasonally and often following a traditional route or circuit according to the state of the pasturage or food supply.

2. any wanderer; itinerant.

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adjective

1. nomadic.

nomad British  

/ ˈnəʊmæd /

noun

1. a member of a people or tribe who move from place to place to find pasture and food

2. a person who continually moves from place to place; wanderer

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Other Word Forms

• nomadism noun
• nonnomad noun
• seminomad noun
• seminomadism noun

Etymology

Origin of nomad

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin nomad-, from Greek, stem of nomás “roaming about for pasture,” akin to némein “to pasture, graze”

Example Sentences

Martinez knows where to look, but it’s hard to find a nomad who meanders roadsides and through abandoned buildings.

From Los Angeles Times

Spain’s new digital nomad visa allows remote workers and freelancers to live in the country year round, as long as they earn most of their income outside of Spain and meet other requirements.

From Seattle Times

Unlike the people in the cities, nomads would have to drive 5-10 hours just to get to their government facility.

From Seattle Times

The reward, he said, has been meeting other humans of almost infinite variety: cattle-herding nomads in Ethiopia, farmers in Pakistan, a cobbler in Afghanistan, an ox-cart maker in Myanmar.

From Los Angeles Times

And with that, the safety of the Kyrgyz nomads is unclear.

From New York Times

Related Words

• migrant
• pilgrim
• vagabond
• wanderer