woolgathering

Wool"gath`er*ing, a. Defn: Indulging in a vagrant or idle exercise of the imagination; roaming upon a fruitless quest; idly fanciful. Wool"gath`er*ing, n. Defn: Indulgence in idle imagination; a foolish or useless pursuit or design. His wits were a woolgathering, as they say. Burton.

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