nomadic

Everyday

1. Nomadic people move from place to place instead of living in one fixed home, often following food, water or grass for their animals. tree →
2. Nomadic animals wander over a large area and do not stay in one territory. tree →
3. (informal) A nomadic life is one where a person keeps moving house, school or job. tree →

In the lessons

In history and geography lessons it describes herders and hunters who travel with the seasons, such as Bedouin, Mongolian herders and some Sámi reindeer herders; it is the opposite of «settled». In stories it tells the reader a character has no fixed home and is used to travelling. Phrases: «a nomadic tribe», «a nomadic way of life», «nomadic herders».

Examples

• Nomadic herders in Mongolia move their tents, called gers, several times a year. tree →
• Long ago many people were nomadic and followed the animals they hunted. tree →
• When farming began, some nomadic groups settled in villages. tree →
• Wildebeest are nomadic and travel huge distances to find fresh grass. tree →
• Dad's job in the army gave us a nomadic childhood; I went to five schools. tree →
• The class compared a nomadic life with life in a farming village. tree →
• Camels help nomadic people cross the desert. tree →
• Demeter, however, by introducing a knowledge of agriculture, put an end, at once and for ever, to that nomadic life which was now no longer necessary. tree →

Note

Adjective only; the noun is «nomad» (a nomad, nomads). It is not «a nomadic» on its own. Do not confuse with «monadic» (a maths word). Nomadic does not mean homeless or poor: nomads have homes they carry with them.