a. (and pres. pple.). Obs. Forms: 4–5 vagaunt, 5–6 -aunte, 5–6, 8 vagant, 5 -ante. [a. OF. vagant, vagaunt, or L. vagant-, vagans, pres. pple. of vagārī to wander.]
1. Wandering, roaming, roving; travelling or moving from place to place; having no settled home or abiding-place. Cf. VAGRANT a. 3.
1382. Wyclif, Gen. iv. 12. Vagaunt and fer fugitif thow shalt be vpon the erthe alle the daies of thi lijf.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), II. 135. In the tyme of Hinguar and Hubba, Ardulphus the bischop was vagante longe with þe body of Seynte Cuthberte.
1480. Caxton, Ovid’s Met., XIV. x. For al we haue be disparblid & longe haue be vagant on the see. Ibid. (1483), Gold. Leg., 407 b/1. Thus Josaphat was two yere vagaunte & erryd in deserte.
1517. Watson, Shyppe of Fooles, A ij. I am the fyrste in the shyppe vagaunte with the other fooles.
1578. Sc. Poems 16th C. (1801), II. 170. Thocht vagant freirs faine wald lie, The trueth will furth.
2. Devious, erratic. rare.
1382. Wyclif, Prov. v. 6. Bi the path of lif thei gon not; vagaunt ben the goingus of hir, and vnserchable.
1708. Brit. Apollo, No. 50. 1/1. By so Vagant a Proceedure, it is a Chance but he must hear some points of Duty … repeated.
3. Of thoughts: Wandering.
c. 1450. Myrr. our Ladye, 42. Yt can not sturre vp yt selfe from wandryng and vagant thoughtes that yt is accustomyd in. Ibid., 165. Also the harte oughte fulle besyly to be kepte from all vagaunte thoughtes.
